Post Feast Favorites: Italian Peasant Soup

Jane Wilt Whitworth


1    pound Italian sausage (links cut into ½ inch slices or bulk)
1    medium onion, chopped
6    cloves garlic, minced
1    pound (about three cups) cooked turkey, bite-sized pieces
2-15    ounce cans great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 to 1 1/2    quarts turkey or chicken broth (depending on how “soupy” or thick you prefer)
1-14 ½    ounce can diced tomatoes
1 ½    teaspoons dried basil
1 ½    teaspoons dried oregano
6    cups baby spinach leaves
    Fresh shredded Parmesan cheese

    In a large pot, cook sausage over medium heat until browned and no longer pink; drain most of fat.
    Add onion and sauté a couple of minutes, then add garlic and saute until both are tender. Add turkey, broth, beans, and herbs. Stir to mix. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes. Add the spinach, stir and cook a couple of minutes, until the spinach wilts and turns bright green.
    Serve with shredded Parmesan sprinkled on the soup.
    Serves 6-10, depending on how big your bowls are!