Turkey Sausage, Bean, Spinach & Potato Soup

Like most of the Northeast, and even some of the South, Buffalo NY has been COLD this week with temps in the negatives too many times to count.  This is not exactly something we’re not used to here in January, but I’m still looking for ways to warm up this week.  With being on vacation this week I had the time to make a batch of soup yesterday afternoon.  Along with many others, I have set out to lose some weight with the new year.  I actually started the new Weight Watchers program back in early December and love it!  I’ve been doing really well with it and while I have no intention of turning this into WW recipe blog, you can expect to see some more recipes on the lighter side and filled with more of the zero points foods.  What I love about the program is the flexibility, which in other words means I can still have pumpkin cookies and apple pie!  So, with that I made this soup that is so filling, so good and so perfect on a beautiful fall or cold winter Buffalo day.

Yield: 4 servings

You will need:

1 lb. turkey Italian sausage (I bought turkey sausage links and removed the casings)
1 can (15.5 oz) cannellini beans
6 cups chicken broth
5 cups spinach
3 medium red potatoes
1 medium onion
4 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2-1 tsp dried red pepper flakes (optional, and use 1/2 tsp or 1 tsp depending on individual spice level preference)
2 bay leafs
2 tsp. olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large cooking pot (I used a 6 qt pot), pour 2 tsp. olive oil and coat bottom of pot evenly.  Warm the oil and add the turkey Italian sausage with casings removed, stir on medium heat until fully crumbled and cooked through.
2. Add 6 cups chicken broth, dried spices and bay leafs to pot with sausage and let simmer for about 5 minutes.
3. While the broth and spices are simmering, finely chop the onion and mince the garlic.  Add to pot.
4. Chop the potato into small pieces with skin on and add to the pot.  Bring to a boil until potatoes are cooked through (about 8-10 min).
5. When potatoes are cooked through, turn off the heat.
6. Remove the bay leaves and discard.
7. Immediately add cold rinsed beans and spinach and stir.
8. Add a little salt & pepper to taste and stir.Serve immediately, great served with a loaf of fresh crusty bread.  Left overs will keep in the fridge for up to a few days.

Side note: If you’re not a fan of turkey sausage you can use regular full-fat Italian sausage, just drain the fat after cooking and return to pot.

Enjoy!