Tuscan White Bean Soup with Apple Chicken Sausage

Anyone else dealing with below zero temperatures besides Chicago??? The only thing that sounds good for dinner after a brisk walk home from the train where the arctic wind blast that got Chicago nicknamed "the windy city" is creating a steady stream of tears that are instantaneously turning into icicles, is soup. Nice. Hot. Soup.

The typical conversation that goes down when soup is on the menu for dinner:

          G: What's for dinner?

           J: Soup.

          G: And?

           J: That's it. Just soup.

          G: Really? You sure you don't want to make anything else to go along with it?

           J: Like what??

          G: Ohh, I don't know. Grilled Cheese. Cheeseburgers. SOMETHING!!

That explains the sausage addition to this dish.

Tuscan White Bean Soup

(serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 large onion, diced 

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 14.5 ounce cans reduced sodium chicken broth

3 large carrots, diced

2 bay leaves

2 cans cannellini beans

2 slices prosciutto, chopped

1 cup baby spinach

grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

1 package Apple Chicken Sausage (Trader Joes)

Directions:

1. In a large sauce pan, heat oil. Saute garlic and onion until tender, about 5 minutes.

2. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add chicken broth, bay leaves, and carrots. Cook for 20 minutes, or until carrots are tender.

3. Meanwhile, mash one and a half cans of cannellini beans in a medium bowl. You can also do this in a blender or food processor.

4. Add mashed bean mixture, remaining half can of whole beans, prosciutto, and spinach to broth mixture. Let cook for 10 minutes.

5. Brown apple chicken sausage in a skillet until browned on all sides.

Dish soup into individual bowls, garnish with grated Parmesan cheese, and serve!