I don’t often use lima beans in my cooking, but I found this soup has a great flavor- resembling split peas. Substitute any other canned bean of your choice.

RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS
1. Remove the sausage casings and crumble the meat. Spray a non-stick skillet with cooking oil and sauté the sausage over medium heat for approximately 5 minutes, or until cooked through and browned. Set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes, or just until lightly browned. Add the carrot and sauté for 3 minutes.

3. Add the stock, potato and 2 cups of the lima beans, reserving 1/2 cup for garnish. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

4. Transfer the soup to the bowl of a food processor or blender and purée until smooth, working in batches if necessary. Return to the saucepan. Add the reserved 1/2 cup lima beans and the cooked sausage and return to the heat briefly to reheat. Garnish with cilantro just before serving.

INGREDIENTS
4 oz spicy chicken or turkey sausage
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2 tsp crushed fresh garlic
1/2 cup chopped carrot
3 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup peeled diced potato
2 1/2 cups canned lima beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup chopped cilantro or parsley

NOTES
Nutritional Analysis per Serving

Calories 196
Protein 10 g
Fat 5.9 g
Saturated Fat 1.1 g
Carbohydrates 26 g
Cholesterol 20 mg
Sodium 541 mg
Fiber 4.7 g

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 33 minutes

Make Ahead: Prepare up to 2 days in advance and refrigerate. Reheat over low heat, adding more stock if too thick. Garnish just before serving.

Serves 6