Italian Sausage Soup with White Beans and Fennel and Parmesan Toasts

Soup:

• 2 lb. mild Italian sausage, casings removed
• 2 cups thinly sliced sweet onion (about 1 medium onion)
• 1 cup thinly sliced celery (about 3 stalks)
• 1 cup thinly sliced fennel (from 1 fennel bulb)
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• ½ tsp. crushed red pepper
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ¼ cup dry white wine
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 2 (15 oz.) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 oz.) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
• Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese for serving
• Fresh rosemary, chopped, for serving

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Add sausage, and cook, stirring to crumble, until no longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes. Add onion, celery, fennel, garlic, salt, red pepper, and black pepper. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Add white wine and stir to deglaze the pot. Add chicken stock, beans, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium- low, and simmer 10 minutes.

Parmesan Toasts

• 16 (1/4 inch) French baguette slices (from 1 large baguette)
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
• 1 tsp. Cavender’s All Purpose Greek seasoning

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place baguette slices on a rimmed baking sheet, and brush 1 side of each piece with olive oil. Sprinkle evenly with cheese and lightly with Cavenders. Bake for 10 minutes until just beginning to brown.

To serve, ladle soup into bowls, sprinkle with cheese and chopped rosemary. Serve with toasts which are perfect for dipping.