Cabbage and White Bean Soup with Sausage

This is a wonderful recipe I found from Bon Appetit that is perfect on a cold, dreary night. This hearty soup goes well with a nice crusty bread and a sprinkle of parmigiano cheese. I've changed a few things from the old recipe just based on my personal preferences. First, I used dried spices instead of fresh ones in order to keep the soup more rustic. Second, I used Italian pork sausages instead of chicken sausages, but you could use whichever type of sausage you prefer. Next, I sprinkled my soup with parmigiano cheese in order to give the soup an extra Italian kick. The soup was delicious and satisfying. Let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

Olive Oil
4 Italian sausages
About 1/2 head of green cabbage thinly sliced
3 leeks cleaned and thinly sliced
2 cups of carrots diced
2 Tablespoons of tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
8 Cups of chicken broth
1 15-ounce can of cannellini beans (rinsed and drained)
Salt & Pepper

Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Brown the sausages on all sides for about 5 mins. After they've browned, cut up the sausages into smaller pieces and set aside. In another large stock pot over medium heat, heat the olive oil and saute the cabbage about 2 mins. Add the leeks and carrots to the cabbage and saute until soft, about 5 mins. Add the tomato paste, parsley, and rosemary, and stir for 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, the sausages, the cabbage, and the beans to the mix. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 40 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with parmigiano cheese and accompany with a hearty bread. (Printable Recipe)