Italian Sausage Soup

This is one of those soups that tastes better after sitting a bit. I make this in the early afternoon and let it sit on the stove until dinner time. It's such an easy soup and doesn't need any accompaniment except a piece of bread and, maybe, a sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top. Makes 6 servings.

• 1 pound Italian sausage (I use bulk sausage)
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 (14 ounce) cans beef broth
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can great Northern beans, undrained
• 2 small zucchini, cubed
• 2 cups spinach - packed, rinsed and torn
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• basil & oregano if desired (I didn’t use either)
• shell macaroni (about 1/3 pound) cooked al dente (I sometimes use tortellini for a heartier soup)

Instructions

1. In a stockpot or Dutch oven, brown sausage with onion and garlic. Stir in broth, tomatoes and carrots, and season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes.
2. Stir in beans with liquid and zucchini. Cover, and simmer another 15 minutes, or until zucchini is tender.
3. Remove from heat, and add spinach. Replace lid allowing the heat from the soup to cook the spinach leaves. Add cooked pasta. Soup is ready to serve after 5 minutes.