Creamy Bean Soup with Sausage

Ingredients:

- 1 pound Italian sausage (mild or spicy, no casings)

- 2 tbsp olive oil

- 2 garlic cloves

- 1 small onion

- 3 cups chicken broth

- 1/2 cup puréed tomatoes

- 3 ounces tomato paste

- 3 cans (360 g/13 oz) cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)

- 3/4 cup heavy cream

- 1.5 ounces grated Parmesan

- 2 tbsp chopped parsley

- 8 tbsp red pesto (for serving)

- Spices: 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (more for serving)

Instructions:

1. Begin by prepping all your ingredients: mince the garlic, finely chop the onion, and remove the casings from the sausage. Drain and rinse the cannellini beans.

2. In a large pot over medium-high heat, add olive oil and sausage. Cook the sausage, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and onion, cooking until fragrant, for about 3 minutes. Stir in the spices and cook for an additional minute.

3. Pour in the chicken broth, then add the puréed tomatoes and tomato paste. Bring the mixture to a boil, then add the cannellini beans. Stir, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Once the soup is ready, pour in the heavy cream and stir to combine. Turn off the heat and mix in the grated Parmesan. Season with additional black pepper and parsley. Adjust salt according to taste.

5. Serve the creamy bean soup with crusty bread. Top each bowl with somered pesto and extra red pepper flakes for added flavor.

#delicioussoup