I know, I KNOW! It’s been a l.o.n.g time. Believe me, I promise, I know! Bionic Beatrice needed a LOT of care to get to this point. But I now believe she has brought me back to a life of (almost) normalcy and activity, AND back to the blog. She’s been hanging out in my body for 11 weeks now, and we are both comfortable in our newly unified bones, and have creatively come to the kitchen together (a quiet whoop whoop is appreciated!). the don, and I eat soup for dinner twelve months out of the year; so Beatrice and I concocted this beautiful option, and now present…

This version includes spinach added at the last minute of cooking; but that is NOT a good idea if you are going to freeze the leftovers…so I have deleted that from the recipe. Also…I had no Parmesan on hand, so there is no garnish…OOPS! ALSO, I served this version over rice…an option.

Tuscan White Bean Soup:

2 Tbs olive oil, divided
1 pound spicy ground sausage
1 sweet onion, chopped
4 carrots, sliced
6 celery stalks, sliced
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
5 garlic cloves, chopped
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1/2 t kosher salt
1 t fresh ground black pepper
2 15 oz cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 Tbs unsalted tomato paste
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Brown sausage in 1 Tbs olive oil in soup pot.
Drain onto paper towel, and set aside.
Return now empty pot to stove.
Add remaining Tbs olive oil.
Add onion, carrots, and celery.
Cook over medium heat 4 to 5 minutes until vegetables are tender.
Add broth, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper.
Cook over medium high heat 4 minutes.
Remove thyme springs and bay leaf.
Stir in sausage, beans, tomato paste, and lemon juice.
Cook over medium heat 5 minutes.
Serves 8.

Top with shaved cheese after pouring into soup bowls.

Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine, March 2015.