Hearty Tuscan Sausage & Spinach Soup

• •1 tbsp Olive oil
• •1 lb Ground mild Italian sausage (casings removed if using links)
• •1 piece Yellow onion (chopped)
• •3 cloves Garlic (minced)
• •4 cups Chicken broth (low sodium)
• •1 Cannellini beans (15 oz, rinsed and drained)
• •1 piece Russet potato (medium, peeled and diced small)
• •1 tsp Dried thyme
• •1 tsp Dried rosemary (crushed)
• •5 oz Fresh spinach (roughly chopped)
• •0.5 cup Half and half
• •to taste Salt
• •to taste Black pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the ground Italian sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Drain off any excess grease and set the cooked sausage aside.

2. 2

   Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chopped onion to the Dutch oven and cook until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Add the minced garlic, dried thyme, and dried rosemary, and cook for another minute until fragrant.

3. 3

   While the aromatics are cooking, combine the fresh spinach with 1 cup of the low-sodium chicken broth in a high-speed blender. Blend until the spinach is completely smooth and integrated into the broth, creating a vibrant green liquid.

4. 4

   Pour in the remaining 3 cups of chicken broth, along with the spinach-broth mixture. Add the rinsed cannellini beans, diced potato, and the cooked Italian sausage back into the pot. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are very tender.

5. 5

   Stir in the half and half. Taste and season with salt and black pepper as needed.

6. 6

   Serve hot and enjoy your hearty, chunky, and flavorful soup!

Chef's Tips

• 💡For extra richness, you can add a tablespoon of cream cheese along with the half and half in the final step.
• 💡To make this even lower in fat, you can use ground chicken or turkey Italian sausage instead of pork.