Creamy White Bean, Italian Sausage and Vegetable Soup

Selasa, 07 Oktober 2014

Creamy White Bean, Italian Sausage and Vegetable Soup

Tender vegetables, white beans and Italian sausage in a creamy flavorful broth made a warm and filling lunch on a day when I didn't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Start to finish, this soup took well under an hour, including the time spent prepping vegetables. This was a great soup to make on Friday and have in the refrigerator over the weekend for another easy meal as well.

Just a tiny amount of red pepper flakes goes a long way in a soup, so add it with caution. My kids preferred their soup without the red pepper. However, I liked mine best with the small kick that it provided.

Creamy Vegetable Soup with White Beans and Italian Sausage
Yield: 8-10 servings
(printable recipe)
^[1]

1/2 lb Italian sausage
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
8 carrots, sliced thin
1 bunch of celery, sliced thin
1 large or 2 small leeks, rinsed well and sliced very thin
2 cans white or great northern beans or 3 cups cooked white beans
8 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillion Chicken Base (adjust to taste, dependent on the stock you use)
Optional: 1/4 - 3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 bay leaf
2 cups half and half

In the bottom of a large soup pot, cook and crumble the sausage over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until tender. Add the carrots, celery, leeks, beans, chicken stock, chicken base, salt, pepper flakes and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer, about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

When the vegetables are tender, taste the broth and adjust seasonings as desired. Remove from the heat and stir in the half and half. Enjoy!

ONE YEAR AGO TODAY: Penne with Bacon Marinara Sauce^[2]