Souper Tuesday! (Get it?)

There is a chill in the air.  November has appeared through the spooky gloom of Halloween.  The year is wrapping up, Christmas shopping looms and I’m binge watching The Mindy Project.  I should probably get more motivated but I’m feeling as motivated as my dog burrowed in the couch. (He snores very loudly.) Plus, this show is really funny.

Sleepy dog..

Dinner is a constant.  For some reason, kids need to eat regularly, or they turn into monsters.  I made homemade wheat bread with sausage and kale soup last night.  It went over pretty well.  It could be that they had to eat it all (even the broth) to get some Halloween candy. 

I was going through an old notebook and found a recipe for a Italian Sausage and Bean soup.  That was pretty good.  I made it for a family I nanny for.  I threw it together with what was in their fridge. 

Italian Sausage Soup             

You will need:

12-14oz pkg of sweet Italian chicken sausage

¾ cup diced onion

½ cup celery

Glad I snapped this pic. 

½ cup carrot

½ cup diced sweet pepper

1 tbsp diced garlic

1 can butter beans-drained

1 can kidney beans –drained

2-3 bay leaves

10 cups chicken broth

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp flour

2 cup fresh spinach

1 can undrained diced tomatoes

½ cup uncooked rice

 

In a large stock pot brown the sausage.  If it’s in a casing, squeeze it out. If that’s too gross for you, slice it up thinly.  When the sausage is cooked through, add the celery, onion, carrots, garlic and sweet pepper. Sprinkle on some salt and pepper.  When they’re soft, add the butter, then the flour once the butter has melted.  Stir the veggies with the butter and flour.  It will begin to thicken.  Now, add 8 cups of the chicken stock.  You could try low sodium…but then I add salt..so, really, just get the good stuff to begin with.

Into the pot goes the beans, bay leaves, Italian seasoning, and the diced tomatoes. Give them a little stir. Go ahead and smell it. Now, taste it.  Does it need a little more salt? Pepper?   Add the uncooked rice in and  let it simmer for up to an hour.   Add the spinach.  Make sure when you add the spinach that you tear it into bite size pieces.  Try not to add stems.  If your soup has gotten too thick and is turning into stew, add more broth. 

I hope you try this out.  Also, check out The Mindy Project. I have been laughing out loud..I almost woke the baby.