When it comes to dinner, not only do I strive to cook "bariatric" friendly, I have to cook "husband" friendly—he's a picky eater. With all our stipulations it's hard to find something that satisfies everyone's tastes as well as fills our eating criteria. But recently I have found a winner. I tweaked the recipe a little and voila—Sausage and Bean Soup...on yum!

The original recipe calls for chicken sausage, but I used Italian Sweet sausage. I also substituted the Northern beans for field peas (only because I had some in the freezer).

The soup was a big hit, perfect for these cold winter days.

Julia's Sausage and Bean Soup

• 1 package Italian sweet or chicken sausage, sliced and drained
• 3 - 4 carrots, chopped
• 1 medium onion
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 black pepper
• 2 (14 1/2 oz) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 2 cans field peas or white beans, drained
• 2 cups kale
• 4 bacon slices, diced, cooked, drained and  (optional)

Cook sausage in skillet about 4 minutes until browned. 

Place carrots and onions in a 4-5 Qt slow cooker, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Layer tomatoes and beans over carrot mixture. Top with sausage. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until vegetable are tender. Just before serving I placed a layer of kale on top until it wilted. Serve with a few crumbles of crispy bacon.