One of the reasons I started a blog was that I would sometimes find an absolutely wonderful recipe and there were only so many people I could button-hole about it at work without getting the feeling that they were starting to avoid me in the hallways. This soup certainly would have made me kind of a wild-eyed maniac at the water cooler.
Although it calls for kidney beans, I used white beans. They seemed more Italian to me somehow and I also happened to have them (don’t want to be throwing 97-cents around on extraneous and redundant cans of beans now, do we?) I also had some fresh rosemary in the fridge so I used that instead of the dried. Everything else I did exactly according to the recipe.
It’s warm and hearty and feels healthy with all of the veggies (they surely counteract any ill effects from the sausage, right? That’s just science.) I’m quite certain you could use turkey sausage and probably veggie sausage instead of pork. You could also use whole-wheat pasta and just about any kind of beans. Next time I might slice some Italian bread very thin, toast it in the oven, and rub garlic all over it and serve it with the soup.
And let me entice you further: your house will smell amazing!
Best of all, since it’s from Epicurious (Bon Appetit, December, 1995) I can link you right to the recipe. For free!
This soup sounds really good. I think I will make it next week. I believe I have all the ingredients on hand. thanks
This looks fantastic, I am thinking it might be a go for soup night next week as I have been looking for something new. Thanks again Kate!
You will LOVE IT!
Yuuuuummmm! Thank you SO much for the inspiration/recipe!
I made this tonight. Used turkey sausage, low-sodium chicken broth, and whole-wheat macaroni, and it was STILL delicious… Served with crusty bread – et voila, dinner is served.
Thank you thank you!
oop! also used cannellini beans…
Thanks Beth. It’s kind of miraculous how good it is, isn’t it?
All my favorite soups have have beans, sausage and tomatoes in them. I’ll give this a try. Tomorrow.
fitzie
Made this soup tonight, Kate. So good and so easy. You were SO right!:) Served it with Rebecca Rather’s corn muffins and it was comfort food to the max. Thanks for posting it!
Glad you liked it Emilie!
Kate I made this tonight and it was a huge hit in my house! Especially the seven year old. The only thing I changed was white beans instead of kidney, I just like em better. And next time I would add another cup of broth, as we like our soup more soupy. Enjoy Phoenix!
Laurie I’m so glad you all liked it!
I made this last night because of your posting and it was so yummy. I used spicy Italian turkey sausage and also substituted white beans. My husband said it might be the best soup I’ve ever made! Thank you! 😀
p.s. LOVE your blog and not just because we share the same name 😉
Thanks Kate!
Kate, another winner! I laughed at your line about wanting to tell people about recipes, that is so me too. 🙂
I used leftover cooked romano beans that were in the fridge and 2 cups of beef broth (from a box that I had open) and 4 cups of chicken (from the freezer), cooked the macaroni separately as I knew there’d be leftovers and don’t like when the pasta sits overnight. Yummy!!!!!