White Bean Soup with Spinach, Sweet Potatoes & Turkey Sausage

A light yet satisfying white bean soup with smoked turkey sausage, spinach, and sweet potatoes, finished with a squeeze of lemon.

Yields: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 pound smoked turkey sausage (like kielbasa), sliced
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
1 small sweet potato/yam, peeled and chopped (butternut squash can also be used)
4 cups chicken broth
2 (14.5 ounce) cans white beans, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
squeeze of lemon

Instructions

To a dutch oven or large pot, over medium-high heat, add the oil. Brown the sausage nicely on both sides (the key to getting a nice deep broth and depth of flavor is to get some good color on the sausage and beautiful brown bits on the bottom of the pan at the beginning). Turn down the heat to medium and add the onions to the pan, cooking 2 minutes or until translucent. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, cooking another minute until fragrant. Add the sweet potatoes, chicken broth, and beans and bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Stir in the oregano and spinach, cooking until the spinach just wilts. Season with salt and pepper (I was generous with the pepper) to taste and remove from the heat. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice into the soup right before serving. Great with toasty sliced bread on the side.