½ lb. Italian sausage
2 cups combination of sliced leeks and onions, or onions only, chopped
4 large cloves garlic, minced or mashed
olive oil
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon thyme
½ teaspoon sage
4 jars Borlotti Italian beans, drained and rinsed
3-4 cups chicken stock
A firm, shiny, 1 lb. eggplant (about 8 inches long and about 3 ½ inches at widest diameter
1 can San Marzano tomatoes, chopped
salt
pepper
- Brown the sausage in a bit of olive oil in a soup pot. When mostly cooked, remove from pot and slice into rounds. Brown those a bit. Remove them to a plate.
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| browning sausage - yum! |
- If there is a lot of fat from your sausage, drain some of it. If there is not a lot, add some oil to the pan. Sprinkle the leeks and onions with salt and cook slowly until tender and translucent. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Add the beans, herbs, and stock to cover. Bring to the simmer, partially cover the pan, and cook slowly for 1/2 hour or until the beans are tender. (Stir frequently). Sometimes, I will use dried cranberry beans and cook the soup in my pressure cooker. Both ways are equally delicious, and it just depends on what I I have on hand.
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| simmering it all together |
- Sauté the sausage in a separate pan, slice, and reserve.
- Peel the eggplant and cut into ½ inch dice. Sauté in some olive oil pan till lightly brown.
- Purée the soup in a food mill, and add the sausage, eggplant, and tomatoes and some of their juice to the pan.
- Simmer 10-15 minutes
- Serve with a drizzle of good finishing oil.
