Daylight Savings Time Soup with Sausage and White Beans

March 11, 2012

We all dread losing an hour during daylight savings time but this orecchiette, sausage , and white bean soup will help ease the blow. Spicy Italian sausage is cooked with red onion and garlic to form the base of the soup. Fire-roasted tomatoes are added along with the white beans are chopped fresh rosemary. Add the pasta at the end of the cooking process or it will soak up too much liquid. To finish the soup, sprinkle some grated Parmesan to give that salty bite at the end. Orecchiette, sausage , and white bean soup is a time-saving recipe that everyone will love.

Orecchiette, Sausage and White Bean Soup

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. Olive Oil

1/4 pound fresh, Italian Sausage, cut into slices on the bias

2 mediums red onions, chopped

4 each garlic cloves, minced

1 (14.5 oz) can Fire-Roasted, diced tomatoes w/ their juices

1 (15.5 oz) can white beans

sprigs each Rosemary, Thyme & Parsley

2 quarts Chicken Stock or broth

2 cups dry Orecchiette Pasta

Black Pepper

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Balsamic Vinegar

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large pot and add your sliced sausage (hint...fresh sausage is easier to slice if it is slightly frozen...stick it in the freezer for an hour or 2 before you're ready to slice).

Brown the sausage well on both sides.

Add chopped red onion and cook, stirring occasionally for a couple of minutes.

Stir in garlic and cook for another minute or so.

Pour in the can of tomatoes.

Let the mixture cook down for a few minutes, until slightly thickened. Add beans (I use the liquid, too), herbs and stock. Stir well and bring to a simmer.

Once soup has simmered for 10 minutes or so, add in the pasta. Cook ~10 minutes more or until pasta is just al dente. Remember, pasta drinks up your liquid, so you may want to have a bit extra stock, or even just water, on hand.

Season with black pepper. You probably will not need salt because of your sausage and stock/broth. But taste it just to make sure and add some if you think it needs it.

Ladle into serving bowls and crack a little more fresh black pepper on top. Sprinkle with some chopped parsley. Drizzle a bit of balsamic vinegar on and grate some Parmesan over the top.