Sausage and Spinach Soup

Ingredients

• 2 cups baby spinach 
• 2 teaspoons bottled garlic minced
• 15 ounce .5 can cannellini beans rinsed drained canned
• 14.5 ounce canned tomatoes organic undrained canned (such as Muir Glen)
• 14 ounce less-sodium chicken broth fat-free canned
• 1 tablespoon basil fresh chopped
• 10 ounce turkey sausage sweet italian
• 1 cup prechopped onion 
• 2 teaspoons oregano fresh chopped
• 2 tablespoons romano cheese fresh grated
• 0.5 cup water 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• sauce pan
• ladle

Directions

1. Remove casings from sausage. Cook sausage in a large saucepan coated with cooking spray over high heat until browned, stirring to crumble.
2. Add onion and 2 teaspoons garlic to pan; cook for 2 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup water, beans, tomatoes, and broth. Cover and bring to a boil. Uncover and cook for 3 minutes or until slightly thick.
3. Remove from heat, and stir in spinach, basil, and oregano. Ladle 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 4 bowls, and sprinkle each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons cheese.
4. Wine note: This delicious soup needs a wine that's crisp and medium-bodied, such as a California pinot gris (aka pinot grigio). The wine's crispness balances the richness of the sausage and the density of the beans. At the same time, the wine's body is substantial enough to stand up to the weight of those ingredients. Try Morgan Pinot Gris "R & D Franscioni Vineyard" 2006 (Santa Lucia Highlands, California), $ -Karen MacNeil