Sausage and White Bean Soup

This recipe is a new one but definitely a keeper!  When I posted a picture of the pot of soup on Facebook, it certainly got attention.

Sausage and White Bean Soup

1 onion, diced
2-3 stalks celery, diced
2-3 carrots, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt
pepper
olive oil

1 package (20 oz) Italian turkey sausage, mild or hot
28 oz diced tomatoes (2 x14 oz cans)
28 oz cannellini beans (2 x14 oz cans), rinsed and drained
1 quart fat free low sodium chicken stock

1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1/2-1 tsp dried rosemary
1 bay leaf

Heat a large heavy pot over medium heat. (I usually chop my vegetables while I am waiting). Drizzle a small amount of olive oil into pan. Add the turkey sausages and turn every few minutes until brown on all sides (8-10 min total). Remove sausage from pot and set aside. You can add a little more oil if needed here, then add onion, carrots, and celery, stirring frequently. Sauté for 5 -10 min until soft, over medium heat. Add salt, pepper, and garlic and sauté for a few more minutes— until you can smell the garlic.

Add the tomatoes, chicken stock and beans to the sautéed vegetables. Cut sausage into bite sized pieces and return to pot. Add basil, oregano, rosemary and bay leaf . Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 45 minutes so that the sausage can cook through and flavors can blend. If a foam develops on the top of the soup, skim it off periodically. Add more salt and pepper if needed.

When ready to serve, remove bay leaf and place into soup bowls, and enjoy.

This is a very hearty soup but it is also very light. You can fine tune the recipe to your liking.
I hope you like it!