Tuscan Bean Soup with Spinach

This soup is DELICIOUS! I feel like it has something for everyone to enjoy. This would be a perfect Sunday dinner soup; add a salad with a warm dressing and some crusty bread. Perfect for the winter season.

Tuscan Bean Soup with Spinach Serves 8 - 10

8 oz. dry white kidney beans (cannellini beans)
1 lb. beef shank, cross cuts
1 T. olive oil
1 1/2 c. chopped onions
1 1/2 c. chopped carrots
1 c. chopped fennel or celery
4 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz. meaty smoked pork hocks
1 T. instant beef bouillon granules
1 bay leaf
2 t. snipped fresh thyme or 1/2 t. crushed dried thyme
2 t. fresh snipped rosemary or 1/2 t. crushed dried rosemary
1 - 14 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
4 c. torn fresh spinach

1. Rinse beans. In a 4 1/2 or 5 quart Dutch oven combine beans and 6 c. water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain and rinse beans, set aside.
2. Sprinkle beef shanks with 1/4 t. salt and 1/4 t. black pepper. In a large Dutch oven, heat oil. Add beef shanks, brown on both sides. Remove shanks, reserving the drippings. Set beef shanks to the side.
3. Add onions, carrots, fennel and garlic to the drippings in the Dutch oven. Cook covered for about 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Return beef shanks to the Dutch oven. Add 6 c. fresh water, pork hocks, bouillon granules, bay leaf, thyme, rosemary and 1/2 t. salt. Stir in undrained tomatoes. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered about 30 minutes more or until beans and meat are tender.
4. Remove beef shanks and pork hocks from Dutch oven. When cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones. Cut meat into bite size pieces. Skin fat from from broth. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Return meat to Dutch oven. Add spinach and heat through.

Chicken Wild Rice Soup

I must apologize for NOT posting in a month. Honestly, time has gotten away from me! Now that we are into winter, the soup recipes that I will be posting should come in handy.

Chicken Wild Rice Soup Makes 8 servings

3 - 14 oz. cans of chicken broth
1 c. coarsley chopped carrot
1/2 c. wild rice, rinsed and drained
1/2 c. chopped celery
1/2 c. chopped onion
2 c. fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 T. butter
1/4 c. flour
1/4 t. ground black pepper
1 c. heavy whipping cream
2 c. chopped cooked chicken, 10 oz.

1. In a 4 quart Dutch oven, combine 2 cans of the broth, the carrot, uncooked wild rice, celery and onion. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 35 - 40 minutes or until wild rice is tender but still chewy; add mushrooms the last 5 minutes of cooking.

2. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour, 1/4 t. salt and pepper. Add remaining 1 can broth. Cook and stir until thick and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Stir in whipping cream. Add whipping cream mixture to wild rice mixture, stirring constantly.

3. Stir in chicken; heat through. If desired, garnish individual servings with freshly snipped chives.

If you make this ahead of time, prepare as directed; cool slightly. Cover and chill for up to 2 days. Reheat over low heat before serving.