Italian Black Bean, Sausage and Spinach Soup

There is just something about tomatoes and Italian spices simmering that never fails to make me smile. Luckily for me, everyone in my family shares this love of Italian flavors. One of my favorite meats to include in a soup is sausage. If you choose a spicy or hot variety, the sausage alone will bring a great deal of flavor to the soup. Along with some tomatoes, beans and baby spinach, this was a really great combination of flavors that every member of the family enjoyed. My middle son ate three bowls of this soup and told me twice that it was a two thumbs up meal.

This is a flavorful, quick and simple soup that can be on the table, start to finish in about half an hour. This soup has been a  favorite in my family for a couple years now and it has become one of my favorite meals for busy nights. The recipe requires just five or so minutes of hands on time. It comes together so easily and turns out perfectly every single time!

Italian Black Bean, Sausage and Spinach Soup
Yield: 6 servings
(printable recipe)
^[1]

1 pound hot sausage
28 ounce can of petite diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups cooked^[2] black beans or 1 can
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, adjust to taste
6 cups chicken broth (or 6 cups water, plus 2 tablespoons Better than Bouillon chicken base- if you've managed to run out of broth in the freezer^[3].)
1 teaspoon kosher salt, adjust to taste
3 big handfuls spinach, roughly chopped or torn if large pieces, about 6 cups
Freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino romano, for topping
Optional: 2 cups cooked small pasta such as rotini, elbow, or ditalini *

Cook and crumble the sausage in the bottom of a large soup pot or dutch oven. Once the sausage is cooked, add all the remaining ingredients (except for the spinach) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or so. Taste the broth and adjust the seasonings as needed. Add the spinach and stir to combine. Let it simmer just until the spinach is wilted, about 2-3 minutes. Ladle into bowls and add a scoop of cooked pasta to each, if desired. Top with cheese. Enjoy!

* I love using leftover pasta for this recipe. I make a little extra pasta with another meal a day or two in advance when I am planning to make this soup.

{Recipe originally published 3/05/2012 ~ recipe updated 12/15/13}

References

1. ^{^} (printable recipe) (barefeetinthekitchen-recipes.blogspot.com)
2. ^{^} cooked (barefeetinthekitchen.blogspot.com)
3. ^{^} broth in the freezer (www.barefeetinthekitchen.com)

Source : http://www.barefeetinthekitchen.com/2012/03/italian-sausage-black-bean-and-spinach.html

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