Spicy Italian Sausage Soup

It is soup season, my friend! This Spicy Italian Sausage Soup is going to warm your soul, nourish your body and leave you feeling oh so satisfied.

I love using blended beans to give this soup a little bit of the creaminess factor, without the dairy! It gives it the perfect balance of kick, richness and brightness from the lemon and herbs.

If spice isn't your thing, sweet Italian sausage would be delish in this too!

The combination of the standard soup veg (onion, carrot and celery) + the addition of broccoli rabe (a.k.a rapini), cannellini beans and potatoes make this soup a meal in itself. For epic satisfaction serve it up with some fresh sourdough and call it dinner!

Spicy Italian Sausage Soup

Serves 4

What you'll need:

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 spicy Italian sausages, removed from casing (about 1 1/2 lbs total)

1 590ml can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

8 cups chicken stock, divided (1/2 cup & 7 1/2 cups)

1 medium onion, small dice

1 medium carrot, small dice

1 large celery rib, medium dice

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 bay leaf

1 lb potatoes, diced

1 bunch broccoli rabe (rapini), cut into bite size pieces

Salt & pepper to taste

2 tbsp fresh oregano (optional)

Grated parmesan, for serving (optional)

Steps:

Add 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil to a large pot over medium high heat. Add the 2 spicy Italian sausages to the pot and break them up as they cook, with a wooden spatula. While the sausage is cooking, blend 1/2 of the can of cannellini beans with 1/2 cup of chicken stock, in a blender until smooth, and set aside.

Once the sausage is crumbled and cooked add in diced onion, carrot and celery to the pot and cook for 3 minutes. Add in the chopped garlic and bay leaf, season with salt and pepper, and cook for one minute. Add the remaining whole cannellini beans, diced potatoes and the remaining 7 1/2 cups of chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer gently, uncovered for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes stir in the pureed cannellini beans along with the broccoli rabe. Stir until the broccoli rabe has wilted, and bring the soup back to simmer. Simmer for one minute, then turn off the heat, stir in the 1 tbsp of fresh oregano (if using), taste and adjust seasoning.

To serve: ladle into shallow bowls, grate fresh parmesan on top, table side, and enjoy!

Soup's up, my friends!