A great “brothy bean” soup for those that like thicker soups. Using the liquid from the canned beans not only helps thicken the soup and add flavour, it also avoids waste!

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add sweet potato then drizzle with 2 tbsp of olive oil and season with salt and pepper; toss to evenly coat. Spread sweet potato in a single layer across the baking sheet. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, turning over after 15 minutes. Set aside.
2. In a large pot, heat the remaining oil over a medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, remove sausage from casing and drop into hot oil in small pieces. Or, you can place the sausage whole, without the casing, into the oil and break it up into pieces using a wooden spoon. Let it fry until golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes, then flip pieces of sausage to brown the other side, let cook 1 minute.
3. Add onion and celery to pot, stir to coat with oil, and let fry until soft and translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic, Italian seasoning, and chilli flake, stir and cook for another 2 minutes. Then add can of white kidney beans with the liquid, chicken broth, boiling water, bay leaves and basil; stir and bring to a boil. Once bubbling, reduce heat to low and let the soup simmer uncovered until 1/4 of the liquid has reduced, about 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Add chopped fresh spinach and let cook for 2 to 3 minutes until wilted. Just before you are ready to serve, add your sweet potato, season with salt and pepper and finish with a squeeze of lemon. Serve hot!