Italian Sausage Soup with White Beans

Ingredients

• 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 yellow onion (chopped)
• 3 carrots (sliced and quartered)
• 2 stalks celery (chopped)
• 18 ounces mild Italian sausage, casings removed (6 links )
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 5 cups reduced sodium chicken broth (I use Better than Bouillon)
• 2 cans white beans (I used cannelini), rinsed and drained (15 oz each)
• 3 stalks rainbow chard (ribs removed)
• Salt and pepper (to taste)

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or large, heavy bottomed pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook until beginning to soften, about 4-5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. 2

   Add the Italian sausage, breaking it up into smaller pieces. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned. Stir in the garlic cloves and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. If there's a lot of fat in the pan, drain or use paper towels to sop up all but about 1 Tablespoon of fat.

3. 3

   Pour in the chicken broth and beans and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and add the rainbow chard, stirring until wilted, about 3 minutes. Taste and season as needed.

4. 4

   Serve with Parmesan flakes and crusty bread.