Tuscan Bean Soup

When the colors of fall are vivid, there's nothing like a hearty bean soup to warm the soul

 

Tuscan Bean Soup and a slice of Stelios' multigrain bread 

Carrots, onion, jalapeno and garlic

Dice a medium onion, two carrots, a jalapeno pepper and two celery stalks.

Sauté two spicy chickens sausages in a deep soup pot and set them aside

Add a tablespoon of olive oil and sauté the diced carrot, onion, celery and seeded and diced jalapeno pepper until they are soft. If you want it super hot leave the seeds in.

Add three cloves of minced garlic and1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes and sauté for a minute until fragrant. Add a quart of low sodium, fat free chicken broth, 2 bay leaves and the twig from a sprig of rosemary. Reserve the rosemary leaves to garnish the soup when served.

Add two cans of cannellini beans

Roughly chop about 2-3 cups of Swiss chard and add to the pot.

Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove the bay leaves and rosemary twig. Blend the soup with an immersion blender so that only some of the beans are pureed.

Slice the sausages and add them to the soup. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Accompany the soup with yellow beets with goat cheese and a dressing of(what else?) Greek extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Ladle the soup and garnish with some olive oil and the reserved chopped rosemary leaves.

Enjoy!

Maria