Tuscan white bean soup is a Mediterranean staple for hungry people and cold nights!
– 2/3 pound Italian sweet sausage meat – fresh cracked black pepper – olive oil – 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced – 3 carrots, peeled and diced – 2 stalks celery, diced – 4 cloves garlic, minced – 48 ounces chicken broth or stock – 1/2 tsp saffron thread – 1 bundle fresh rosemary and fresh thyme stems, tied – 30 ounces canned white beans or cannellini beans, drained – 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese – 1/2 cup heavy cream – 1 bunch spinach leaves (remove any thick stems) – 1 tsp fresh minced rosemary – salt to taste – 1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar (optional)
Grind black pepper on a dinner plate. My grind is fairly coarse. Using a tiny 1-inch scoop, roll sausage meat into round balls and lightly cover in pepper.
Add pepper as needed. Heat olive oil on the bottom of a heavy soup pot till hot. After two batches of browning, transfer the sausage meatballs to a platter.
Shaking and swirling the pot keeps the meatballs round and browns all sides. Put onions, carrots, celery, and garlic in the pot with olive oil if needed.
Sauté vegetables for 10 minutes, stirring periodically, until softened. Add beans, meatballs, broth, saffron, and herbs to the pot.
Stir and boil everything. Simmer for 15 minutes to tenderise the vegetables. After adding the milk and Parmesan, add the rosemary and spinach.
Return to a simmer and adjust salt as needed. I sometimes add a squeeze of lemon or a teaspoon of sherry vinegar to enhance soup.