One of my favorite (and most popular) soup recipes of all time. It's warm, hearty, and perfect for a cold rainy day.
Ingredients
1lb.ground sweet Italian sausage
1tablespoonolive oil
1small oniondiced
2medium carrotspeeled and diced
2celery stalksdiced
3clovesgarlicminced OR frozen garlic cubes
4cups32 oz. low-sodium chicken broth
215.5 oz cans Cannellini beans, drained
1teaspoonfresh rosemaryminced
2cupsfresh baby spinach
½cupheavy cream
Juice of ½ lemon
Grated Parmesan cheesefor serving
Instructions
In a large, heavy-bottom pot, cook the sausage over medium heat. Using the back of a wooden spoon, break apart the sausage into bite-size pieces. Cook until the sausage is no longer pink and cooked through, then transfer the sausage to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
Add the olive oil, onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Cook until the onions have softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and allow it to cook for 1 minute.
Add the chicken broth, beans, rosemary and return the sausage to the pot. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen up any of the brown bits at the bottom of the pan.
Bring the soup up to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it has come to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and allow it to cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, and stir in the baby spinach, heavy cream, and lemon juice.
Serve topped with grated Parmesan cheese alongside your favorite crusty bread.
Notes
SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
Serve this with my favorite side salad, a caprese salad on the side, or garlic bread.
SWAP SUGGESTIONS:
Protein: Swap the ground sausage for ground turkey or chicken.
Vegetarian: Remove the sausage from the recipe and replace with ½ lb. small quartered red potatoes and swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth.
Dairy-free: Use full fat coconut milk in place of heavy cream.
WEEKEND PREP/MAKE AHEAD:
Chop the carrots, celery, and onions in advance and store in an airtight container. Or use the Mirepoix Mix from Trader Joe’s.
