Recipe Review | Trader Joe's Italian Sausage and Spinach Soup

With a couple inches of snow dusting the world outside my window, I thought today would be a great day to share one of my family's very favorite (and super easy!) recipes for soup. I found this recipe years ago in a Trader Joe's Fearless Flyer mailer. We've been enjoying it ever since. While I no longer need it (because it's that easy to remember), I still have the clipping in my recipe box all these years later. 

Here it is:

 I have modified it over the years. 

• We definitely prefer brown rice (holds up better in the leftovers and adds a nice nuttiness). Know that brown rice can easily take 45-60 minutes to fully cook on a low simmer.
• When I can't find the TJ's sweet italian sausage, this one is perfect. Even if you can't find it ground, removing the casings from the links is very easy. Just slice open one side (the length of the sausage) and "peel" it off. The links will hold their shape in the pot, so be sure to break it apart during the browning process.
• I no longer add the fresh spinach to the pot. Rather, I put a small handful of spinach in the bowl and then ladle the hot soup over it (below). The soup immediately wilts the spinach without stripping it of color and flavor. Another bonus of this amendment is that if you live with any little people (or grownups) who do not like "green stuff," you can easily avoid serving them any. Also, if you add the spinach to the whole pot, the leftover pieces of spinach can get a little slimy upon reheating (never good--even if you are a fan of "green stuff").

What are some of your favorite soup recipes? Stay warm, my friends.