Soup Week: Tuscan sausage soup

My friend Jon is a gourmet. No, really. The man gets a spice catalog, for heaven’s sake. He was experimenting with dessert flavorings when we were in high school. His favorite herb, he once told me thoughtfully, is rosemary. He has a basil bush (yes, a bush – he lives in Houston) growing on his little patio. He and his mom make dozens of delectable cookies every Christmas. And this is how he looks chopping basil.

Have you ever seen anyone happier about an herb?

Anyway, when Jon told me about this Tuscan sausage soup recipe, I paid attention. And jotted it down in my journal, since no other paper was available. And brewed up a batch the very next day.

The key here is the Greek seasoning, which includes oregano and spearmint. Those two flavors, Jon says, really make the sausage pop. Since he’s been giving me cooking advice for, oh, about half our lives, I believe him.

Tuscan Sausage Soup
Adapted from the Penzeys Spices catalog

3/4 lb to 1 lb sausage
1 can navy beans/northern beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1 32-oz container beef broth
1 clove garlic, minced
a handful of minced onion
1 10-oz block of frozen spinach
1-2 tsp Greek seasoning, or a pinch of spearmint and oregano

Break sausage into small, bite-size balls and brown in the bottom of a large pot or Dutch oven. When sausage is brown, add all other ingredients except spinach. Simmer on medium-low for 30-45 minutes. Add spinach (thawed, squeezed and drained) last; simmer for 15-20 more minutes. (You can cook it on low heat for much longer, if desired.)

The spinach gives this soup a great color and lots of body. (I’m sure you could use kale instead; obviously, you can also use fresh spinach and fresh tomatoes. You can also use dried beans and soak them overnight, but the canned ones require less effort.)

Enjoy. (This is hearty, slightly spicy and SO GOOD.)

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