North Woods Bean Soup

This is a "must try" recipe! Maybe it's the delicious turkey kielbasa or the tender carrot slices that makes it so tasty. I've made this a couple times, and both times it turned out splendid! It's definitely a new family favorite!

Here's the needed ingredients:

1. Cooking spray
2. 1  cup  baby carrots, halved
3. 1  cup  chopped onion
4. 2  garlic cloves
5. 7  ounces  turkey kielbasa, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
6. 4  cups  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
7. 1/2  teaspoon  dried Italian seasoning
8. 1/2  teaspoon  black pepper
9. 2  (15.8-ounce) cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
10. 1  (6-ounce) bag fresh baby spinach leaves
12. Now, here's the steps to this yummy soup:
13. 1. Mince the garlic, chop the onion, halve the carrots, and cut the kielbasa as described above.
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    2. Heat a large saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add carrots, onion, garlic, and kielbasa; sauté 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium; cook 5 minutes.
16.  

1. 3. Add the broth, Italian seasoning, pepper, and beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes.
2.  

4. Place 2 cups of the soup in a food processor or blender, and process until smooth. [Doing this step adds a lot of flavor to the soup. It may look rather unappitizing, but trust me, it's worth it]. Return the pureed mixture to pan. Simmer an additional 5 minutes.

Don't worry about its looks, it's worth it!

5. Remove soup from heat. Add the spinach, stirring until spinach wilts.

6. And last but not least, DISH UP & ENJOY!