This is a great recipe for a cold winters day!
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 red onions, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 4 oz. pancetta or prosciutto, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 (15 oz.) can navy, white or cannellini beans, drained (about 2 cups)
- 1 spicy Italian sausage and 2 sweet Italian sausages (or you can use all spicy)
- 1 quart homemade or good quality chicken stock
- 1 bay leaf
- Several sprigs of fresh thyme
- Sea salt, freshly ground pepper
- fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Recipe makes 6 servings.
RECIPE
- Put the oil into a saucepan and heat well; then add the onion, garlic, pancetta, carrot and celery.
- Cook over low heat for 10 mins. until softened but not browned.
- Add the beans, the whole sausages, stock, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and pepper.
- Bring to a boil; cover with a lid, reduce heat and simmer for 30 mins.
- Skim off any excess fat, then remove the sausages and slice them diagonally.
- Remove the thyme stems and bay leaf.
- Return the sausages to the soup and add the fresh parsley right before serving the soup.
- Let cook a few more minutes then serve.
- This is a brothy soup as opposed to a thick bean soup.
- Top each with a little freshly grated Parmesan, if desired. Good served with homemade garlic bread or garlic breadsticks.
(Source: Barbara Walch, adapted from Everyday Entertaining)