Italian Sausage and White Bean Soup

Why go out and get the all you can eat soup and breadsticks at a well-known Italian restaurant chain when you can make a soup that tastes just as good for a fraction of the cost at home? All you have to do is buy some ready-made breadstick dough (and bake them!) and you've got a great Italian meal.
Ingredients

• 8 ounces hot (or mild) Italian sausage, casings removed and broken up into small pieces
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup shredded carrot
• 1 can (14 ounces) chicken broth
• 1 can (14 ounces) white beans (undrained)
• 2 cups baby spinach leaves or chopped kale (I prefer the kale)
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
• 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese (topping)

Directions

Cook sausage, onion, bell pepper, and carrot in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until the sausage is no longer pink. Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and cook 10 minutes, or until the carrots start to soften. Add the canned white beans along with their canning liquid. Bring to a simmer and add spinach or kale. The spinach will wilt rather quickly (just a couple of minutes) but if using kale, simmer for another 5-10 minutes, or untill the kale is as cooked as you like it. Remove from heat and stir in the basil. Pour into serving bowls and top with cheese.

We leave the Parmesan cheese off the 3A's