Ingredients

The following ingredients have 8 Servings
  • 2/3 pound Italian sweet sausage meat
  • fresh cracked black pepper
  • olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
  • 3 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 48 ounces chicken broth or stock
  • 1/2 tsp saffron threads
  • 1 bundle fresh rosemary and fresh thyme stems, tied
  • 30 ounces canned white beans or cannellini beans, drained
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 bunch spinach leaves (remove any thick stems)
  • 1 tsp fresh minced rosemary
  • salt to taste
  • 1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar (optional)

Instruction

  • Grind a layer of black pepper on a dinner plate. I use a medium coarse grind. Scoop sausage meat with a small 1 inch scoop and roll into round balls, then roll the balls in the pepper to lightly coat. Add more pepper as needed.
  • Lightly coat the bottom of a heavy soup pot with olive oil and heat until hot. Brown the sausage meatballs, in two batches, until browned all over, and then remove to a plate. I like to give the pot a shake and swirl right after adding the meatballs to keep them round and get all sides an initial browning.
  • Add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic to the pot and add more olive oil if needed. Saute for 10 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables just start to soften.
  • Add the broth, saffron, and herbs to the pot, along with the beans and meatballs. Give everything a good stir and bring up to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, just until the vegetables are tender.
  • Stir in the cream and Parmesan and then add the rosemary and spinach. Bring back to a simmer and taste to adjust the salt if necessary. If the soup seems to need brightening, I will sometimes add a squeeze of lemon or a teaspoon of sherry vinegar.