Italian Sausage Soup

I discovered this soup when Isaac's brother made it at a family reunion. Chock-full of veggies and--yum--Italian sausage, it manages to marry hearty and healthy. And delicious. Is that a three-way marriage? Anyway, it was a universal hit and disappeared waaaaaay too quickly.

Feel free to change up the veggies (green beans, cauliflower, whatever. I also increased the amounts of several of the veggies), and look for lean turkey Italian sausage to lower the fat content. You can also cut back on the amount of sausage if you'd like.

Italian Sausage Soup

Source: allrecipes.com

Photo from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
1 pound Italian sausage
1 clove garlic, minced
2 (14 ounce) cans beef broth
1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes
1 cup sliced carrots
1 (14.5 ounce) can great Northern beans, undrained
2 small zucchini, cubed
2 cups spinach - packed, rinsed and torn
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. In a stockpot or Dutch oven, brown sausage with garlic. Stir in broth, tomatoes and carrots, and season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes.

2. Stir in beans with liquid and zucchini. Cover, and simmer another 15 minutes, or until zucchini is tender.

3. Remove from heat and add spinach. Replace lid to wilt the spinach for 5 minutes. Serve with crusty bread and parmesan cheese if desired. Serves 6.