North Woods Bean Soup

I first saw this soup on Details of Dinner, it’s a Cooking Light recipe and I started craving it immediately. The kids and I spent most of the day outside because the sun was out but it was still a bit cool. At the end of the day, we were all tired and ready for something warm and tasty. I adapted the recipe to use what I had on hand. I ended up adding one extra can of beans to make it a bit thicker, I used fresh basil and thyme, added celery and extra garlic. I also topped the soup with some shaved Asiago cheese. The sausage gave the soup a smokey flavor that my husband LOVED and my kids and I really like it too. It was warm, comforting, and hearty. A perfect way to end the day. I served it with a tossed salad and fresh-baked bread.

North Woods Bean Soup:

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp of olive oil  
• 1 cup baby carrots, diced
• 1 cup sweet yellow onion, diced
• 2 stalks of celery, diced
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 7 oz turkey kielbasa, halved lengthwise and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 4 fresh basil leaves, cut into ribbons (chiffonade)
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp of oregano
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 (15.8-ounce) cans of white beans, drained and rinsed  
• 1 15 oz can of cannellini beans
• 1 (6-ounce) bag fresh baby spinach leaves
• Shaved Asiago cheese for topping

How to Make North Woods Bean Soup

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, celery, and kielbasa; sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 60 seconds, stirring constantly.

Add the broth, bay leaf, fresh basil, fresh thyme (leaves removed from stems), oregano, sea salt and pepper to taste, and the beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Place 2 cups of the soup in a food processor or blender, and process until smooth. Return the pureed mixture to the pan. Simmer an additional 5 minutes. Remove soup from heat. Remove the bay leaf then add the spinach, stirring until spinach wilts.

Top with shaved Asiago cheese and serve. Enjoy.