Creamy Italian Sausage and Spinach Soup

• 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 5 links of Shady Brook Farm Hot Italian Turkey Sausage, casings removed
• 1 teaspoon of dried basil
• kosher salt and pepper
• 5 Campari tomatoes, quartered. You could also use Roma tomatoes
• 1/4 cup of all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup of milk (2 % or whole)
• 1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese
• 6 cups of reduced sodium chicken broth or bone broth
• 2 cups of baby spinach

Method

In a large dutch oven over medium low heat, add the olive oil and chopped onion and garlic. Let cook for about 5 minutes. Add in the turkey sausage and break it up while it is cooking. Season with a 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt or sea salt, a few grindings of pepper, and the dried basil. Allow the turkey sausage to brown. In a small microwaveable bowl (or saucepan if cooking on the stove), combine the milk, parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, and chicken broth. You can either microwave this mixture for about 45 seconds, or if in a saucepan, warm the mixture until the cheese is just melted and set aside.

Next, add in the tomatoes to the turkey sausage and onion mix and give it a good stir. Sprinkle the flour over the meat mixture and slowly pour in the broth, milk, and cheese mix, whisking as you add a little bit at a time. Whisking slowly but surely will eliminate any flour lumps in the soup. Once all is combined, bring the burner up to medium high heat and let the soup simmer for about 15 minutes. Add in the spinach and reduced the heat to low and cook until the spinach is just wilted. 

Serve immediately and add parmesan cheese and/or red pepper flakes. This is sure to warm you up on a cold day or night!