White bean & spinach soup

I love a good, hearty soup in the winter. Really, we eat soup year-round because Doug and I both really like it and find it very convenient to take for lunches. But in the winter, it's especially perfect for cozy dinners on blustery days.

This soup is filling, but it's great for any time of year. In the summer, we like it with salad or sandwiches. In the winter it's great with fresh bread, or hot cornbread. Really, you can't go wrong with any bread on the side of soup, can you? Bring on the carbs!

With two of my favorites, white beans and spinach, this dish is going to end up in our regular rotation. I get fresh sausage links at the co-op where we do our grocery shopping and the local, organic ingredients really kick up the flavor of this soup.

White bean & spinach soup (Weight Watchers = 4 PP per serving)
makes 10 servings

Ingredients

• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 links Italian sausage
• 2 cans Great Northern beans, drained
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 can petite diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 T Italian seasoning
• 1/4 t black pepper
• 4 c fresh spinach
• grated Parmesan

Directions

1. Cook the sausage. Then cut it lengthwise into quarters and dice.
2. Add all ingredients except spinach and Parmesan to the crock pot.
3. Cook on low 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours.
4. 30 minutes before serving, add spinach to the soup, stir, and cover.
5. Add some freshly grated Parmesan before serving.

Linked up at Nancherrow.