Ingredients

The following ingredients have 8 Servings
  • 1 pound smoked sausage, cut into slices (See Tip 1)
  • 2 cups diced onions
  • 1 cup diced carrots
  • 1 cup diced celery
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 sprigs rosemary (See Tip 2)
  • 2 sprigs thyme (See Tip 3)
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 14.5-ounce can petit diced tomatoes
  • 2 quarts (8 cups) chicken broth, divided (See Tip 4)
  • 2 15.5-ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed well and drained
  • 1 15.5-ounce can chickpeas or garbanzo beans, rinsed well and drained
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)

Instruction

  • Cook sausage in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until fully cooked. Drain well.
  • Pour grease from Dutch oven, but do not wipe down. Add onions, carrots and celery. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
  • Tie the rosemary, thyme and oregano in a piece of cheesecloth secured with kitchen twine.
  • Add Petit Diced Tomatoes, 6 1/2 cups of the chicken broth, cooked sausage and herb packet to Dutch oven. Stir to combine ingredients. Cover Dutch oven and simmer the soup over medium-low heat for 30 minutes.
  • While soup is cooking, purée one can of cannellini beans and remaining 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth in a blender until smooth.
  • After 30 minutes, add cannellini beans, chickpeas and puréed cannellini beans to soup. Cover and simmer for an additional 20 minutes over medium-low heat.
  • Remove herd packet from soup. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add spinach and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes.
  • Yield: 8 servings.