White Bean & Sausage Soup

It's February, it's cold and it's American heart month! Nothing soothes the heart and soul like a hot, hearty soup. The beauty of soup is it's so versatile and simple. This soup features navy beans, which are a great source of soluble fiber- the type that lowers cholesterol, maintains blood sugar and bowel regularity. Beans are also high in folate, a nutrient found to reduce homocysteine- a byproduct of protein metabolism linked with heart disease and stroke. In addition, beans are a great source of protein, which provides satiety (read- you eat a lot less between meals). If you're out of navy beans, Great Northern beans or cannellini (white kidney beans) make a great substitute. BONUS- this soup provides 29% of the daily value for iron!In addition to beans, this soup boasts many heart-friendly vegetables like spinach, carrots, onions, garlic and tomatoes.  Studies show that vegetable consumption is linked with lower blood pressure, so the more, the merrier! To make the soup vegetarian and lower in sodium, leave out the sausage.  You may not even miss it.Ingredients2 (15 oz) cans navy, Great Northern or cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)2 cloves garlic, minced2 celery stalks, chopped2 large carrots, chopped1 Tbsp. olive or canola oil1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes (keep liquid)8 cups low sodium chicken broth2 cups fresh spinach or 1 (10 oz) box frozen spinach6 oz. turkey kielbasa or smoked sausage, cut into small pieces.¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper½ tsp. dried marjoram or oregano¼ tsp. dried thymeDirections

1. In a large soup pot, saute the onion, garlic, celery & amp; carrots in olive or canola oil until soft.
2. Add the diced tomatoes and continue to sauté about 5 minutes.
3. Add the chicken broth, beans, spinach and spices and stir. Add the chopped kielbasa.
4. Cook over low heat for ~30 minutes until beans are soft.

Makes 10 servings.  Nutrition information per serving: 326 calories, 2.3 grams fat, 4 mg cholesterol, 55 grams carbohydrate, 21 grams fiber, 23.4 grams protein, 160 mg sodium.Adapted from Spark recipes