In our quest to eat lighter and less rich meals, I made Italian white bean and spinach soup today. It’s been rainy and chilly in San Francisco, so a nice bowl of warm, comforting soup was perfect for dinner.
I wanted a quick fix meal and opted for canned cannellini beans. Sometimes you just don’t want to presoak beans or simmer them for an hour. And instead of using the traditional pancetta or ham, I replaced it with healthier ground turkey. It’s a super simple recipe that can be made in thirty minutes or less, definitely less if you aren’t snapping pictures.
The soup has great flavors from the herbs, onions, garlic and ground turkey. Add a dash of hot sauce, and it’s even better. We had crusty Italian country bread with the soup. It’s a simple, satisfying soup that’s easy to make. What else would you want, besides a bowl right now?
Italian White Bean, Spinach and Turkey Soup Recipe
SND note: The last few times we’ve made this soup, we’ve doubled the amount of beans listed below. Add additional stock or water, if it’s not soupy enough for you with the additional can of beans.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground turkey
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 (15.5 ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups (32 ounces) low-sodium chicken stock
12-14 ounces fresh spinach, chopped
Salt and pepper
Directions:
1) In a medium stock pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey, season with a dash of salt and pepper, break into small pieces and brown for 3-4 minutes. Drain excess fat, if necessary. Add garlic and onions and sauté for 4-5 minutes, until onions are soft.
2) Add cannellini beans, thyme, rosemary and chicken stock. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Mix in chopped spinach and simmer 5 more minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve with some crusty Italian country bread.
Makes 4 to 6 servings
[tags]italian, white bean, spinach, cannellini, spinach, turkey, ground turkey, soup, beans, easy[/tags]
Sunday Nite Dinner 
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