White Bean and Pasta Soup

Name: White Bean and Pasta Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 10 min
Yield: 12 servings (3 quarts).
Ingredients: 1-1/2 cups dried great northern beans; 3/4 pound Italian sausage links, casings removed; 1 large onion, chopped; 1 large carrot, chopped; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 6 cups chicken broth; 3 cups hot water; 2 tablespoons dried currants; 1 teaspoon dried basil; 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained; 1 cup uncooked small shell pasta; Grated Parmesan cheese

My husband and I savor every spoonful of this hearty soup. It makes a real stick-to-your ribs meal when served with crusty oven-fresh bread.

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups dried great northern beans
3/4 pound Italian sausage links, casings removed
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups chicken broth
3 cups hot water
2 tablespoons dried currants
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup uncooked small shell pasta
Grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Sort beans and rinse with cold water. Place beans in a Dutch oven or soup kettle; add water to cover by 2 in. Bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain and rinse beans, discarding liquid.
In the same pan, cook the sausage, onion, carrot and garlic over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the broth, water, currants, basil and reserved beans. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until the beans are tender, stirring occasionally.
Add tomatoes and pasta; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until pasta is tender. Serve with cheese.

Nutrition Facts

1 cup: 180 calories, 4g fat (1g saturated fat), 11mg cholesterol, 648mg sodium, 25g carbohydrate (6g sugars, 6g fiber), 10g protein.

Originally published as White Bean and Pasta Soup in Country Woman May/June 2001

Reviews

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Average Rating:

stampinjo

Feb 6, 2014

This is a great winter soup! I used 1 1/4 lb. Andouille sausage diced, an extra carrot, a bay leaf instead of currants, and everybody thoroughly enjoyed it. The grated Parmesan cheese is a nice touch as well as a drizzle of olive oil.
Geosdar

Jan 27, 2012

Very good recipe, next time I will add hot sausage in it. Husband is a chef and he thought it was a very good recipe.
justyouandme20002001

Jun 27, 2009

This sounds good...printed it off. I'd proberably add a bay leaf, too. Elizabeth
annabanabanana

Jun 27, 2009

Really good soup. Perfect when it starts to get colder outside. The only changes I made were to omit the currants (I couldnt find them in my store). I also just used a pound of sausage instead of buying the links and having to remove all the casings. Next time though I will add more pasta and another carrot just to cater to my taste more. I still give this 5 stars because it was still delicious as is.