Italian Turkey Sausage Soup with Swiss Chard & Grated Sweet Potato

serves 4

Ingredients
1 Tbsp (15 mL) olive oil
1 lb (454 g) hot or mild Italian turkey sausages (4 sausages)
1 shallot, sliced into half moons
¼ cup (60 mL) white wine
4 cups (1 L) low-sodium chicken broth
Pinch of salt and pepper
1½ cups (375 mL) grated sweet potato (2 medium)
1/3 cup (75 mL) 35% cream
1 bunch Swiss chard, chopped (or 2½ loose cups/625 mL)

Directions
1. In a dutch oven style pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
2. Squeeze the sausage meat out of the casings and into the pot.
3. Break it up into small bite size pieces with a spatula and sauté for 5-7 minutes until it is nicely browned. When the sausage meat is browned, add the sliced shallot and cook together until the shallot is softened, about 3 or 4 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, peel the sweet potatoes and grate using the grater attachment of a food processor. If not using a food processor, then finely chop the sweet potato so that it cooks quickly. Using a box grater is not advised since the sweet potato is so hard your hand will likely slip and scrape your knuckles.
5. De-glaze the pot with the white wine and then pour in the chicken broth.
6. Add the sweet potatoes as well and simmer for 10 minutes.
7. While that simmers, slice the stiff spines from the chard. Take several leaves and roll them up like a thick cigar. Hold the rolled leaves together and slice it lengthwise. While still holding the rolled up leaves together, cut it width-wise to create short ribbons.
8. When the sweet potato is soft, pour in the cream and let the soup boil for a minute.
9. Then add all the chard at once. As you stir it in, it will wilt and fit in the pot.
10. Simmer the soup for another minute or two, add pinches of salt and pepper to taste and then serve.

Nutritional Information
Per serving
Calories: 362
Protein:27 g
Fat: 19 g
Carbohydrates: 17 g

Recipe courtesy of Christina Austin of www.buffyandgeorge.com.
http://www.tastyturkey.ca/recipes/italian-turkey-sausage-soup-with-swiss-chard-grated-sweet-potatoes/