This soup is just what the doctor ordered for a cold night when I am burning the candle at both ends with events and holiday chores! Serve with bread ... or not! The recipe is from Food & Wine and I modified it a bit, making a bit creamier broth.
1T olive oil
1 lb of spicy Italian sausage, out of casings and broken or cut into 1/2 pieces
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 large stalk of celery, chopped
1/2 cup of finely chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes without oil (but now patted out)
4 large garlic cloves, minced (and more if you prefer)
8 cups chicken stock
2 (15 oz) cans of chickpeas or garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups greens (I prefer large spinach leaves)
1/2 cup grated Italian cheeses
1/4 -1/2 cup heavy cream
2 T chopped fresh basil leaves
3/4 c. kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste or garnish.
More cheese to garnish - basil leaves to garnish
Place 1 T olive oil in a Dutch oven or a big pot and heat to just hot.
Add the sausage and cook, stirring often about 5-8 minutes until the sausage is browned (but it will cook more with the rest of the ingredients.) Add the onion and celery and cook for 4-6 minutes until the vegetables soften. Scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and the garlic. Cook until fragrant, about one minute. Stir in the stock and the chickpeas and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered until these flavors meld.
Add 4 cups of spinach - large spinach or baby spinach - or kale, torn without stems. Add 2 T chopped fresh basil and 3/4 tsp. salt.
In a medium saucepan, make a roux of 4 T butter and 4 T flour or Wondra (cook the butter until just melted and stir in the Wondra to a dough. Cook on low heat until the flour cooks.
Add one cup of the hot broth from the soup to the roux in the saucepan. Add more broth util you have a sauce. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup heavy cream and stir. Add this to the soup. Add 1/2 cup of any mixture of Italian cheeses.
Serve! This soup can be reheated, but do not boil.
