healthy italian sausage white bean soup.

It has been cold and rainy lately, which makes me just want to throw on comfy clothes, eat comfort food, and cuddle up with Mr. S watching a movie. We’ve kind of been in a dinner rut lately — gravitating to the same restaurants and making the same dishes when we cook dinner at home.

One of my favorite bloggers, Sequins and Stripes, Snapchatted that she was making an Italian sausage dish for dinner and I was completely inspired! I turned her recipe into a soup and gave it a healthy twist — I’ve been doing a lot of research on super foods, and found that Cannellini beans (white beans) are low on the glycemic index and help the body detox. Plus, I used spinach to add in extra veggies. This dish was a hit! Mr. S doesn’t really like soup for dinner and he had THREE helpings! The best part for me was that it was really easy to make when I got home from work, and still had time to watch Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Now, go make my healthy version of this comfort food Italian sausage white bean soup!

Need:
-6 links of spicy Italian sausage
-.5 carton (16 oz. total) low sodium chicken broth
-.25 red onion, chopped
-2 cans organic Cannellini beans
-3 Roma tomatoes
-1 packet fresh Thai basil
-1 bag fresh baby spinach
-extra virgin olive oil
-pepper to your liking
-crushed red pepper to your liking
-fresh shredded Parmesan cheese

Hollyized Steps

First, remove the casing from all the sausages. This isn’t very easy. My trick was to chop off the tips and lightly score the sausages down the middle. Then I was able to tear off the casings in large pieces. Once the sausage links are “naked,” coat the bottom of your Le Creuset dutch oven and put the sausage links in there for about ten minutes covered — five minutes cook time on each side.

While the sausage is cooking in the dutch oven, chop up the tomatoes and fresh basil leaves. (Text overlay = you caught me repurposing the picture I posted on my Snapchat :))

Once the sausages have cooked on each side, remove them from the dutch oven and place them on a separate plate. Now add more EVOO to the bottom of the dutch oven, and add in your chopped red onion. I took a shortcut and purchased my onion already chopped up, which lets me quickly add them into other dishes and save time. Cook the onions on medium heat for 2-3 minutes, then add in the diced tomatoes and basil. Quickly semi-drain the two cans of beans and add them into the dutch oven along with the chicken stock. The colors look really festive!

Then chop the sausage on the separate plate into bite sizes, and add them into the dutch oven along with the bag of spinach.

Crank in your fresh grated pepper and red pepper flakes, stir the soup, and cover. Let it simmer on medium to low heat for about 15-20 minutes. Occasionally taste the broth and add in more pepper or red pepper flakes to your liking.

Once the soup is done, serve in a bowl and top with a little freshly grated Parmesan cheese! Now you are all set to enjoy this comforting and flavorful dinner! Bonus points for it being healthy too!

Print Recipe

healthy italian sausage white bean soup

Course: Main Course

Ingredients

• 6 links spicy Italian sausage
• .5 carton (16 oz. total) low sodium chicken broth
• .25 red onion, chopped
• 2 cans organic Cannellini beans
• 3 Roma tomatoes
• 1 packet fresh Thai basil
• 1 bag fresh baby spinach
• extra virgin olive oil
• pepper to your liking
• crushed red pepper to your liking
• fresh shredded Parmesan cheese

Hollyized Steps:

• First, remove the casing from all the sausages. This isn’t very easy. My trick was to chop off the tips and lightly score the sausages down the middle. Then I was able to tear off the casings in large pieces. Once the sausage links are “naked,” coat the bottom of your Le Creuset dutch oven and put the sausage links in there for about ten minutes covered — five minutes cook time on each side.
• While the sausage is cooking in the dutch oven, chop up the tomatoes and fresh basil leaves. (Text overlay = you caught me repurposing the picture I posted on my Snapchat :))
• Once the sausages have cooked on each side, remove them from the dutch oven and place them on a separate plate. Now add more EVOO to the bottom of the dutch oven, and add in your chopped red onion. I took a shortcut and purchased my onion already chopped up, which lets me quickly add them into other dishes and save time. Cook the onions on medium heat for 2-3 minutes, then add in the diced tomatoes and basil. Quickly semi-drain the two cans of beans and add them into the dutch oven along with the chicken stock. The colors look really festive!
• Then chop the sausage on the separate plate into bite sizes, and add them into the dutch oven along with the bag of spinach.
• Crank in your fresh grated pepper and red pepper flakes, stir the soup, and cover. Let it simmer on medium to low heat for about 15-20 minutes. Occasionally taste the broth and add in more pepper or red pepper flakes to your liking.
• Once the soup is done, serve in a bowl and top with a little freshly grated Parmesan cheese! Now you are all set to enjoy this comforting and flavorful dinner! Bonus points for it being healthy too!