Recipe: Zuppa Salsiccia

That's Italian for Salsiccia Soup! (I know... I know... it really means sausage soup.)

This has been my dinner for the past few days, and it is both very good and very easy.

1 package sweet Italian sausages (I used two, but I need the extra protein and calories)

2 small onions

1 can diced tomatoes

2 cans cannelini beans (white kidney beans)

1 package frozen spinach

1 can chicken broth

Cut the sausage into pieces, then brown the pieces in a large pot in some olive oil. While it is browning, cut the onions, leaving them in long strips. Once the meat is browned, add the onions, along with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the onions wilt. Add the beans and the liquid from the cans, then the tomatoes and the juice from the can, then the chicken broth. Add water as needed to reach desired consistency (I added 1 can of water). Cover and bring the soup to a boil, then drop to a simmer for about an hour. Add the frozen spinach, and cook for ten minutes more.

The recommendation of the author from whom I stole this recipe, in order to have the full Italian experience, is to serve the soup hot and topped with fresh grated sharp cheese, such as a good Parmesan or Romano, as well as a buttered crusty bread and a juice glass of inexpensive red Italian wine.

I've been going with the cheese option, as you can see, but I have traded the bread and wine for a nice salad. Spinach, sweet peppers, bell peppers, tomatoes, avocado, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a dollop of black bean hummus. Buon Appetito!

(Full credit given to the original source where I found the recipe: http://anaffordablewardrobe.blogspot.com/2009/06/zuppa-salsiccia.html)