Sausage, White Bean and Swiss Chard Soup
I’m really feeling soups lately. They are usually healthy, quick, and freeze well. I love making a big batch and freezing it in individual portions. That way I can thaw one portion a week, to have a lunch ready with no effort involved at all. Although the parmesan rind in this soup is optional, it really does give a great depth of umami flavour! I highly recommend getting in the habit of keeping the rind when you are done with the softer part of the cheese. They are great for flavouring soups, sauces and risottos.
Sausage, White Bean and Swiss Chard Soup
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
INGREDIENTS
¼ cup olive oil
1 lb Italian sausage, removed from casings
1 medium sweet onion
2 celery stalks
2 medium sized carrots
3 cloves garlic
6 cups low sodium chicken stock
1 14oz can white beans, drained and rinsed
Parmesan rind, approximately 4 inches, plus grated parmesan for garnish *See notes
2 bay leaves
4 cups swiss chard, stems removed and leaves chopped
Zest and juice of ½ a lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
*If you don’t have a parmesan rind you can skip this step, but start making a habit of keeping your leftover rinds!
DIRECTIONS
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large heavy bottomed pot. Add sausage, and brown for approximately 5 minutes, breaking it up into bite sized pieces with a wooden spoon while it cooks. For quick prep, add the onion, celery, carrots and garlic into a food processor and pulse until finely diced. If you don’t have a food processor, finely dice all of the vegetables with a knife instead.
Add it all to the pot with the sausage, and continue to cook, stirring often for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the chicken broth, parmesan rinds, bay leaves and ½ of the beans. In a small bowl, mash the other ½ of the beans with a fork and then add to the soup. Simmer for approximately 20 minutes.
Add in the swiss chard and simmer until softened, just a few more minutes. Stir in the lemon zest & juice and season with salt and pepper. Remove the parmesan rinds and bay leaves, and serve hot with grated parmesan on top.
