My husband decided to make dinner tonight. Fortunately, he planned ahead to make Italian sausage and bean soup, and soaked the beans overnight. Takes about 1.5 Â hours to cook.
- 1 cup white or navy beans, soaked in water overnight, then drained
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 2-3 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 pound Italian sausage (crumble, fry and drain off excess fat)
- 2 medium potatoes (Yukon Gold preferred, Russet will work)
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 3-4 cups Swiss chard (or kale or spinach)
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel
- salt and pepper to taste
In a large pot, saute the onion in the olive oil until golden. Add the chicken broth and beans and cook over medium low heat for about an hour. Then add the cooked sausage and oregano, fennel salt and pepper. If using Yukon Gold potatoes, add them 10 minutes later. If using Russet potatoes, add them 15 minutes later (they get fluffy). Cook for another 15-20 minutes (depending on which potato). If using Swiss chard or kale, add it for the last 5 minutes. If using spinach, add for the last minutes.