White Bean Soup with Italian Sausage

Posted On March 4, 2019

We eat a lot of soups and stews in our family and this is one of our favorites. I always hear people say that soups are only for the winter months but I disagree. Anytime of the year is a good time. And when the AC runs all summer, it sure does feel like winter in our house! LOL!

But what makes this soup so yummy are how the flavors blend in with each other. Specially when you add the drippings from the cooked sausage! I do recommend not to save any leftovers, which I believe you won’t, but because of the very wilted spinach. It will look a little blah the next day. So eat up!

Total time: 1 hour; Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. fresh Italian sausage links
• 2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 4 garlic gloves, finely chopped
• 1 sprig thyme
• 2 15-oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tbsp. chives, chopped
• 4-5 oz. baby spinach (about 8-10 cups)
• Salt & Pepper
• smoked paprika
• crispy baguette, sliced

Before we get started, I would like to mention, that you can use spicy Italian sausage if you prefer a little kick to the palate or a mild sausage as I am using for this recipe.

Let’s begin by heating up 1 tbsp. of the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Make sure you poke a few little holes into the casing of the sausages to release air while cooking. By doing so you will prevent them from popping open with a small explosion with the grease going everywhere. So we will brown the sausages, cooking them through and turning them on each side, for about 20 minutes. Transfer the sausages to a plate and set aside.

I will keep the heat on medium and continue to heat the remaining 1 tbsp. of olive oil in the same skillet. We will add the onion, garlic, thyme sprig and cook until onion is softened, for about 8-10 minutes. Give it an occasional stir so the onion does not stick to the skillet and turns brown. It’s time to add the beans and the broth. After doing so, let’s crush some of the beans with the back of the cooking spoon, which will thicken the stew. Not to many though because we do not want the stew to end up being a thick paste. Giving it a stir, let it cook for about 10 minutes. While the stew is cooking, cut the sausages into slices.

With the stew almost ready, let’s add the sliced sausage and cook for about 2 minutes. Add handfuls of the baby spinach cook until the spinach starts to wilt, for about another 2 minutes.  Drizzle with a little olive oil and smoked paprika if you like. Oh, and do not forget the crispy baguette! That is a must for this stew! Let me know if you have any questions or comments!