Easy Italian Wedding Soup

I love the ease of soups. One pot for cooking, one bowl for eating. Plus it's a comfort food, especially when the soup has pasta in it!
 
Ingredients

• 1 lb sweet Italian sausage, casings removed (I used turkey sausage)
• 1 lb Ditalini pasta, uncooked
• 2 handfuls of fresh baby spinach
• 32 oz of chicken broth
• 1 can navy beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon onion powder (not salt!)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder (not salt!), divided in half
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon basil
• salt & pepper, to taste
• olive oil

Directions

Fill a stock pot with water and 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder. Bring to boil and cook pasta according to directions. Add splash of olive oil to boiling water, to keep pasta from sticking.

While water is boiling/pasta is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large sauce pot or dutch oven. Cook sausage with onion powder and remaining garlic powder, oregano and basil. Salt & pepper to taste.

Once sausage is browned, add spinach and stir to wilt. Add chicken broth and beans and bring to low boil. Turn down to simmer, add half of the cooked and drained pasta (reserve the other half for pasta salad or just to eat alone for lunch with some cheese sprinkled on top). Heat through, then taste and adjust salt & pepper accordingly.

Very yummy, especially with sweet Abernathy biscuits.

Enjoy!

Greens & Beans Soup

This soup is perfect for winter, and it is so easy to customize. Just change out the meat, greens or beans to your liking. It's simple! I have done this with smoked sausage and kale, but the picture above is with the ingredients listed below. It's even better the next day!

Ingredients

• 1 lb turkey Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2-4 cloves garlic, pressed 
• 1 package frozen collard greens (12-16 ounces), thawed
• 48 oz. of chicken broth (or 1 32 oz. container and then add water for remaining ounces)
• 2 cans navy beans, drained and rinsed
• salt & pepper

Directions

Brown onion and sausage together until sausage starts to brown. Add garlic and cook until sausage is completely browned. You can drain the fat at this point, if desired (I leave it in for flavor). Add broth, beans and greens, and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

This goes great with cornbread!

Greens and Beans with Sausage

This recipe is easy to make as a vegetarian meal by just leaving out the meat, or substituting with some cubed, firm tofu. It is delicious, and easy to make and to double -- it's the perfect winter soup, along side some crusty french or cornbread.

Approximately 6 servings

Ingredients

1 bunch of collard greens or kale (I love both), washed and stripped from stems, and chopped
1 smoked chicken sausage, diced
1 small onion, chopped
2-3 (or more!) cloves of garlic, minced
2 cans of Navy or Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 32 oz. container of chicken or vegetable broth
olive oil
smoked paprika (optional)
salt & pepper, to taste

Directions

In a large pot or dutch oven, heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil over med-high heat and cook onion until tender. Add minced garlic and stir around in pot. Add greens and cook until wilted. Add sausage and cook for 1-2 minutes. Next, add chicken broth and beans, and heat to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Check for seasoning, and add salt and pepper and dash (or more) of smoked paprika, to taste.

Enjoy!