White Bean and Sausage Soup with Pasta

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Is there anything more comforting than ladling up a pot of bubbly, savory soup? We don't think so. As the temps get cooler and the days get longer, the family gathers in the kitchen a little bit more often, craving something warm, aromatic, and satisfying for a hot lunch or supper. While many soups and stews may require a few hours to simmer on the stovetop, this easy white bean soup comes together in just 40 minutes. To make the soup even heartier, we have added pasta and turkey sausage. Use your favorite smoked sausage if you wish, but you may have a bit more grease in the pan than if you used turkey. Brown the sausage and onions, then add garlic, rosemary, seasonings, beans and chicken stock. Add uncooked pasta and let it them get tender, then stir in swiss chard. Chard is a nutritious, green leafy vegetable with a taste that is a bit milder than spinach. Use raw chard in green salads, sauté it with garlic and olive oil, or bake it into a frittata. Serve a basket of warm, homemade bread with this while bean and pasta soup for a complete quick and easy weeknight supper.  To keep the sodium count on this bean and sausage soup low, purchase low-sodium cannellini beans and low-sodium chicken stock.

White Bean Soup with Pasta and Sausage
Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
Active Time:
40 mins
Total Time:
40 mins
Servings:
6

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped (1 ½ cups)

  • 1 (13-oz.) pkg. smoked turkey kielbasa (Polish sausage), cut into half-moons

  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped (1 Tbsp.)

  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt

  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

  • 2 (15-oz.) cans lower-sodium cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 

  • 4 cups lower-sodium chicken broth

  • 1 dried bay leaf

  • ½ cup uncooked ditalini pasta

  • 3 cups packed roughly chopped Swiss chard (stems and ribs removed; from 1 [8-oz.] bunch) 

  • Shaved Parmesan cheese

Directions

  1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high. Add onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add smoked turkey kielbasa, garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add beans, broth, and bay leaf.

  2. Bring mixture to a boil over high. Reduce heat to low; simmer, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add in uncooked ditalini pasta to simmering mixture and continue to cook for 7 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf.

  3. Stir in chard. Cook, stirring often, until wilted and slightly softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Garnish with Parmesan.

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