My doctor advised me to eat more protein and less carbs in my diet. This delicious soup fills you up and doesn't leave you craving sweets. The sausage has plenty of sodium in it so there's no need to add additional sodium to the soup.

Ingredients

* 1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
* 12 oz. Italian-seasoned turkey or chicken sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
* 1 C. onions, diced (about 1 small onion)
* 1 C. baby carrots, sliced
* 1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 tsp. crushed red pepper
* 2 tsp. black pepper
* 2 tsp. dried basil
* 1 tsp. dried thyme
* 1 tsp. dried oregano
* 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
* 1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
* 1 C. dry red wine
* 1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, coarsely chopped, with juice
* 28 oz. water
* 1 15-oz. can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
* 1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
* 2 bay leaves
* 1 Tbs. red wine vinegar
* 1 Tbs. hot sauce
* 8 Tbs. shredded asiago cheese

Directions

In a large Dutch oven, heat the extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and brown for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, and add the onions and carrots. Cook for 5 minutes, until vegetables are slightly softened. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and seasonings (crushed red pepper through marjoram). Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Once vegetables are cooked, add the red wine, canned tomatoes, water, kidney beans, black beans, and bay leaves. Bring soup to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cover pot, reduce to a low heat, and simmer soup for an hour. Uncover pot, and continue simmering for an additional 30 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the red wine vinegar and hot sauce, and blend well into the soup.

To serve, remove soup from heat and remove the bay leaves. Place about two ladles of soup into 4 bowls. Top each bowl with 2 tablespoons of asiago cheese and serve.

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