White Bean Soup With Sausage—Just Right for Snowy Days

For all you lucky folks who live where the ground is white and snowmen abound, this is a soup that’s just right for you. Alas, those of us living without snow, where the temperatures are in the 80’s in mid-January and the closest thing to snow is a cup of flavored shaved ice, well—we’ll just have to make this deliciously comforting soup and pretend it’s snowing outside.

This soup combines so many delicious flavors—sausage, white beans, kale. It’s colorful and pleasing to your eyes, which makes it extra pleasing to your stomach as well. Enjoy.

For this recipe you’ll need:

·12 ounces fresh mild Italian sausage links (hot or sweet), sliced 1/2 inch thick

·1/4 cup water

·1 medium onion (can be red or yellow—red is lovely), chopped (1/2 cup)

·1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic (or 1 minced clove fresh garlic)

·1 tablespoon cooking oil

·2 (15-ounce) cans white kidney (cannellini) beans, rinsed and drained

·2 (14 ounce) cans reduced-sodium chicken broth

·1 (14-1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, oregano and garlic, undrained

·4 cups coarsely chopped kale or spinach

·Ground pepper

To make this recipe:

1. In a large skillet, add the sausage and water. Bring this to a boil then reduce the heat. Cover the dish and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the sausage is cooked through and is no longer pink. Remove the lid and continue to cook approximately 5 minutes more, until the sausage has browned. You’ll want to stir this frequently. Use a slotted spoon to remove the sausage from the pan and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a separate, large saucepan, cook onion and garlic in hot oil for about 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent and tender. Stir in the drained and rinsed beans, broth, and undrained tomatoes. Cover and bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 5 minutes.

3. Finally, stir in the cooked sausage and the chopped kale or spinach. Simmer, uncovered, about 3 minutes more or until kale or spinach is tender. Season to taste with pepper and additional salt if necessary.

Makes 5 servings.

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