north woods bean and spinach soup

As I'm typing this, I can hear the rain pounding against my window. It's been raining all day here in Delaware. I don't hate it, honestly. Rainy days are lovely. They make me want to sit in a warm house, curled up in a blanket with a hot cup of tea, watching the rain fall outside.

It also makes me want to make soup. Cliche, right? Guilty. But there is nothing that warms you up better on a rainy day than a big pot of hearty soup.

This soup is delicious. It's full of smoky kielbasa, white beans, vegetables and spinach. Half of it gets pureed than added back in the pot to give it a thick consistency.

I grated fresh Parmesan on top to give it a nutty bite. All in all, this soup is so earthy and wholesome.

Chop up a bunch of vegetables and get them cooking in a large dutch oven.

I used turkey kielbasa. It has a wonderful flavor - tastes kind of like sausage but not really... maybe sort of like hot dogs... but not really... it tastes like kielbasa. You can thank Poland for this.

I ended up chopping those pieces in half and it was a good size for the soup.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - ya gotta drain and rinse yo beans.

Everything gets put in the pot to cook. Then you add chicken broth and seasonings. I used a measuring cup to measure 3 cups worth of soup to puree in a food processor. Add that mixture back to the pot with a few handfuls of spinach.

After heating through, you have a beautiful soup.

I am sending bright, sunny days your way. And if it doesn't work... just make this soup.

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North Woods Bean and Spinach Soup


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2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup carrots, peeled and chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
1 whole red bell pepper, chopped
7 ounces turkey kielbasa
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 (15.5 oz) cans Northern Beans (White Beans)
1 (6 ounce) bag baby spinach

Heat a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil and chopped vegetables. Stir. Chop kielbasa into 1/2 inch cubes and add to pot. Let cook for 4-5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add garlic. Cook for 2 minutes. Add broth, salt, pepper, sage, chili powder and beans. Stir and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.

Place 3 cups of soup in a food processor or blender, process until smooth. Return pureed mixture to pan and simmer 5 more minutes. Remove soup from heat. Add spinach and stir to wilt.

Serves: 5

Recipe adapted from: Cooking Light Dinner Tonight Cookbook