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White Bean and Winter Greens Soup with Sausage.
Try this hearty soup and learn the budget power of using a little bit of flavorful sausage to create a lot of satisfying food. Let your family garnish their own bowl with thin slices of red onion, red pepper flakes, hot sauce, or cheese.
1 12-oz package tech pride sausage (TTU locally produced sausage sold at IWC)
3 cans low sodium all natural chicken broth
1 large yellow onion
1 can diced tomatoes
Salt & ground pepper to taste
1 lbs dried white beans (cannellini, navy or great northern)
1 bunch winter greens (kale, collard greens or Swiss chard), tough stems removed, leaves thinly sliced
First things first, dried beans are always cheaper to buy than canned beans. So buy the dried beans.
How to Cook Dried Beans?
- Spread beans in a single layer on a large sheet pan; pick through to remove and discard any small stones or debris and then rinse well.
- Soak the beans using one of these two methods:
- Traditional soaking method: In a large bowl, cover beans by 3” with cold water, cover and set aside at room temperature for 8 hours or overnight.
- Quick soaking method: In a large pot, cover beans by 3” with cold water, cover and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, remove pot from heat and set aside, covered, for 1 hour.
- Drain soaked beans and transfer to a large pot. Cover by 2” with cold water, add 2 dried bay leaves and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer, gently stirring occasionally, until beans are tender, 1-2 hours. (Do Not add salt to beans as this will cause the cooking time to increase dramatically)
On to the Soup!
When beans are almost done, in another large pot heat ¼ cup chicken broth over medium heat, add sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated and sausage is just browned, about 10 minutes. Add chopped onion, salt & pepper and cook, stirring often, until onion is softened, another 10 minutes. (Add another generous splash of broth to the pan if onions begin to stick.) Add remaining broth to sausage mixture in pot. Add can of tomatoes with liquid. Bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Add the cooked beans straining with a slotted spoon. (Reserve the cooking liquid to add to the soup if needed.) Cover and cook until beans are soft all the way through. Add winter greens; (add reserved liquid if needed at this time) reduce heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beans are soft and greens are wilted and softened, 10 – 20 minutes depending on the green. Add salt and pepper to taste.
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Ladybug McGreen's Blog 
This soup is delicious! I made it for my family and they loved it! And it only cost a few dollars.
