Gluten Free Tuscan Bean Soup

Not that I'm a big fan of slush and sleet, recently shoveled parking spots blocked off with lawn chairs or milk crates, or those frigid winter days where it hurts to be outside, but I am happy things are cooling off.  Being a northern-blooded human, I'm most comfortable in temperatures between 45 and 75 d. F., so when the heat is 80s and up I feel like I'm made of soft molasses; I have no energy and I travel from one air-conditioned bubble to the next, silently wishing a cold front would move in so that I could pull my hoodies out of the "winter clothes" box, slap on a beanie cap and go tromping through multi-colored drifts of fallen leaves.  Well, the fall seems upon us:)  This whole week is in the 60s and 70s.  I love it.  I could even see my breath the other morning.  Weather like this gets me into a soup and stew mood for sure.  A little colder and I'll be experimenting with chili again:)~

This bean soup can easily be made vegetarian by switching the chicken stock with vegetable stock and leaving out the diced ham.  Meat in or meat out, you're going to enjoy every single steaming spoon of this dish.  I guarantee it!

Ingredients

• 2x 14 ounce cans of chopped tomatoes with herbs
• 2 cups roughly chopped savoy cabbage (or Cavolo Nero Leaves if you can find them)
• 2x 14 ounce cans of cannelloni beans
• 2 cups diced ham (pre-cooked)
• 2 cups GF chicken broth (or GF vegetable broth) or plain ol' water
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper (to your taste)
• 1/4 tsp. garlic salt

Cooking Directions

1. Pour the chopped tomatoes into a large pan and add the chicken broth. Season with the garlic salt, sea salt and pepper. Stir and bring to a boil.
2. Add the cabbage to the pan, stir in, and then partially cover the pan.  Lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender.
3. Drain and rinse the cannelloni beans and add them to the pan along with the diced ham. Stir together and heat for another 5 minutes.
4. Check to see if the soup is seasoned right, if not, add more salt and pepper.
5. Ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle a little bit of olive oil over the top.
6. Enjoy!