White Bean Soup with Sausage

Nothing is more satisfying than homemade soup during the cold winter months. I like the fact that when I make a big pot of soup I always have some left over to freeze. On those busy nights when I don't have the time, or energy, to cook I just pull it out of the freezer and dinner is ready in minutes.

Beans are inexpensive and a good source of protein. You could make this soup without the sausage but......I have a husband and what man does not like a big hunk of meat in his soup?

Ingredients:

2 lbs of smoked turkey sausage, cut into 1 1/2" pieces

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1/3 cup shallots, minced

3 garlic oves garlic, minced

2 cups dried white beans

1/4 cup fresh thyme sprigs

1/4 tsp pepper

2 (14) oz cans chicken stock

Salt to taste

2 cups water

Soak the beans in a large pot of water overnight. The next day cook the beans for 1 hour. They should be slightly undercooked so they finish cooking once the soup is assembled. Drain the water off the beans.

In a large pot add half the oil and saute the sausage until brown on all sides. You want some carmelization on the pan to enhance the flavor of the soup. Remove the sausage from the pan to a separate dish and hold. Add the other half of the oil to the pot and saute the shallots and garlic, slightly browning. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot including the beans and the sausage. Allow to simmer slowly on top of the stove for about an hour. Taste and adjust seasoning. It will likely require salt at this point. If the soup looks like it is too thick simply add a little water.

For the thyme I cut sprigs off my plant in the garden and throw them in the soup. I don't bother stripping the thyme off. Once the soup is done I pull the sprigs out prior to serving. I feel that I get the supple flavor of the thyme without it being over powering. When serving the soup you can also drizzle it with some good quality olive oil. I like to serve this soup with some multi grain bread and a spinach salad.

Lets talk cookware for a moment. I have an 11 quart Le Creuset dutch oven that is absolutely my favorite piece in my kitchen. In my younger days I used whatever cookware I had on hand. As my cooking skills improved I realized the importance of having high quality equipment in the kitchen. Investing in a few key items has made a huge difference in the enjoyment of cooking in addition to the end product.