RECIPE
A
Valentines dinner to warm you up from Metro Creative Connection
Treating that special someone in your life to a delicious meal can be done any time of the year , but is especially poignant and romantic on Valentine ’ s Day . Even though plenty of people may be tempted to dish up gourmet fare , comfort foods can be equally appealing , especially on a cold February day .
Soup can be both filling , tasty and customized with individuals ’ favorite flavors . Italian seasonings and ingredients are on display in this recipe for “ Hearty Tuscan Soup ” from “ Season ’ s Best : Fast , Fun & Fabulous ” by The Pampered Chef™ Test Kitchens . Try it for a satisfying Valentine ’ s meal for two or more .
Hearty Tuscan Soup
Serves 8
2 15-ounce cans reduced-sodium pinto beans 1 tablespoon olive oil 8 ounces Italian turkey sausage ( about 2 links ), casings removed 1 large onion 1 medium sweet potato , peeled 4 garlic cloves 4 cups unsalted chicken stock or chicken broth 1 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes , undrained 1 tablespoon Pampered Chef™ Rosemary Herb Seasoning Mix 1 / 2 teaspoon black pepper 1 package fresh baby spinach leaves , washed and dried 16 melba toast rounds 3 tablespoons shredded Italian cheese blend
1 . Drain and rinse pinto beans in a small colander . Transfer half of the beans to a food processor ; process until almost smooth . Set aside both whole and mashed beans . 2 . Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes or until shimmering . Cook sausage 4 to 6 minutes or until no longer pink , breaking into crumbles . 3 . Wedge onion , then chop . Cut sweet potato into chunks , then coarsely chop . Add onion , sweet potato and garlic to Dutch oven ; cook and stir 5 to 6 minutes or until onion is softened .
4 . Stir all beans , chicken stock , tomatoes , seasoning mix , and pepper into Dutch oven . Cover ; bring to a boil over high heat . Reduce heat to medium ; simmer , covered , 10 minutes . 5 . Preheat broiler . Remove Dutch oven from heat ; add spinach . Cover ; let stand 2 to 3 minutes or until spinach is wilted . Top soup with melba rounds ; sprinkle with cheese . 6 . Place Dutch oven 2 to 4 inches from heating element . Broil 2 to 4 minutes or until croutons and cheese are lightly browned . Ladle soup and croutons into bowls .
76 Winter 2022 Thomasville Scene