Bean and Sausage Soup
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Ingredients:
1 pound fresh borlotti (cranberry beans), 1 large white onion, 3 fresh sage leaves, 2 cloves garlic, peeled, 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1 ounce pork fatback, diced, 4 links pork sausage, removed from casing and crumbled, 2 medium carrots, diced, 2 celery stalks, diced, 2 cloves garlic, chopped, 2 large red onions, minced, 1 leek, white part only, chopped, 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, 6 fresh sage leaves, 1 teaspoon dried dill, 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, 1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks, 1 pound fresh kale, cut into thick strips, 3 cups polenta (coarse grind), salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Preparation:
1. Place the beans, 3 leaves of the rage, the whole onion, 2 cloves of garlic and salt in a soup pot along with enough water to cover by 2 inches. Cover and cook for 1 hour. Add more water if necessary.
2. Place the oil in another soup pot and add the carrots, celery, minced onions, chopped garlic and leek, thyme, sage, dill, fatback and nutmeg and saute over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add the sausage and cook for another 5 minutes, continuing to stir.
4. Stir in the butternut squash, kale and a cup of the bean liquid. Cover and cook for 30 minutes adding 1 cup of hot water to maintain a liquid consistency. When the kale is cooked, add salt and pepper, the beans and the remaining of the bean liquid. Bring to a boil.
5. Pour the polenta into the soup in a steady stream, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Add hot water to maintain a smooth consistency. Cook for 15 minutes.
6. Serve hot, drizzled with extra-virgin olive Oil.
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