North Woods Bean Soup

Ingredients

• 1 cup baby carrots halved
• 6 ounce baby spinach leaves fresh
• 0.5 teaspoon pepper black
• 31.6 ounce cannellini beans drained and rinsed canned
• 4 cups less-sodium chicken broth fat-free
• 2  garlic cloves minced
• 0.5 teaspoon penzey's southwest seasoning dried italian
• 1 cup onion chopped
• 7 ounces turkey kielbasa halved lengthwise cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Equipment

• food processor
• frying pan
• sauce pan
• blender

Directions

1. Heat a large saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat.
2. Add carrots, onion, garlic, and kielbasa; saut 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium; cook 5 minutes.
3. Add the broth, Italian seasoning, pepper, and beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes.
4. Place 2 cups of the soup in a food processor or blender, and process until smooth. Return the pureed mixture to pan. Simmer an additional 5 minutes.
5. Remove soup from heat.
6. Add the spinach, stirring until spinach wilts.