Italian Bean Soup

This winter, I have had a permanent craving for tomato soup. I never considered myself a real fan before, but lately I can't get enough. So when I was making our shopping list for dinners this week, I got a little daydreamy about tomatoes, and then about white beans, and about mushrooms. What was a dish that combined some of these favorite things? My take on Pasta e Fagioli Soup. I decided to omit the pasta so I could dip bread into the luscious looking sauce and to make it a little more healthy. In the end, it was perfect. Salty, bursting with flavor, eat bite filled with the perfect ratio of turkey, veggies, and beans. The Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes gave it a little bite, and made it taste more like an Italian chili. This would be delicious with spicy sausage, or with swiss chard or spinach and no meat. The weather is getting warmer in Boise, but I'm thinking this soup will stay in our dinner plans for months to come!

Recipe, adapted from Iowa Girl Eats:

(Serves 6)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 cup carrots, sliced
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
28 ounce can tomato sauce
14 ounce can low sodium diced tomatoes
2-14 ounce cans cannellini beans
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium, add ground turkey, and cook until no longer pink. Add onions, carrots, mushrooms, and garlic, and saute for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, beans, and spices, stir to combine, and simmer over low-medium heat for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
When the soup is ready to eat, stir in Parmesan cheese. To serve, ladle into soup bowls, garnish with extra Parmesan cheese, and enjoy with toasted bread, crackers, or tortilla chips.