Para-Regal

First time attempting this challenge and I almost quit before I even got started because of the week’s theme (I have ibs and beans are really tricky 😅). Then I decided to heck with that mentality… I had the perfect Low FODMAP recipe at hand!

LoFo TUSCAN BEAN SOUP:

1 cup leek (green leaves only, finely diced)

1 large sweet potato (peeled & diced)

2 large carrots (peeled & diced)

1 can cannellini beans (drained & rinsed)

2 tbsp garlic infused oil

1 lb. uncased mild Italian pork sausage (check the ingredients to make sure it’s LoFo compliant, if you’re trying to avoid FODMAPS)

1 can diced tomatoes, with liquid

4 cups LF chicken stock (I used turkey stock that my husband made from the leftover bits of Thanksgiving turkey and stashed in the freezer. Highly recommend a homemade stock because the gelatin makes for a lovely mouthfeel.)

2 handfuls of baby spinach, or whatever greens of your choice/you have on hand. Give them a rough chop, if you’re using something like kale or full sized spinach.

1 lemon (juice thereof)

Cheese – parmesan, romano, colby, cheddar… all are good in this if you want to add some.

SPICE MIX
2 tsp dried chives

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp fennel seeds

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes (the recipe says this is optional, but I think it’s integral — follow your heart)

Salt & Pepper in whatever amount tastes good to you

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Set oven to 400° F.
2. Peel & dice the sweet potato and carrots. Coat with garlic-infused olive oil and add salt & pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and pop in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the sweet potato and carrots are soft and starting to turn golden. Remove from the oven and set aside.
3. While the carrots & sweet potatoes are baking, thinly slice & dice the leek greens. Rinse & drain the cannellini beans. Measure out the fennel seeds and give them a good chop until they’re finely broken down (you lcould also give them a good grind with a mortar & pestle and it would do the same thing).
4. In a large pot, add some garlic-infused olive oil and then add the sausage. Throw some salt and pepper in. Break up the sausage into smaller bits and cook over heat until the sausage starts to turn from pink to brown. Add the rest of the spices and combine.
5. Add the sweet potato & carrot to the pot and give it a good mix. Add the diced tomatoes and cannellini beans and mix again. Then add the stock and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Taste to make sure you like the spice/salt levels and kind of just let it hang out.
6. Once you’re happy with the spices/saltiness, add the lemon juice and give everything a good stir. Then add the spinach and stir until the spinach begins to wilt. Remove from heat and serve immediately. It also keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days.
7. Serve with a sprinkle of your cheese of choice on top, and a slice of good sourdough bread. Prepare to be amazed at how delicious this soup is!

NOTE: this recipe is adapted from a subscription recipe at A Little Bit Yummy, a site that specializes in LoFo recipes for ibs. I got the basic idea from them and made my own tweaks along the way, such as using mild Italian sausage instead of ground pork, baby spinach instead of kale, and roasting the sweet potatoes and carrots before adding them to the pot so they really get nice and slightly caramelized.