Variations of this soup are made in Tuscany, France and the UK. This version combines white beans, sage, shallots, garlic, wine and sausage in a soup hearty enough to be a meal. Recipe below.
AS FALL SETTLES IN HERE IN THE MIDWEST, our tiny garden is mostly shutting down. The tomatoes are over, the basil looking forlorn. But our sage is still going to town. So when I came across a recipe for Tuscan-style white beans that used sage on Saveur’s website, I mentally filed it away. Then overnight temperatures in the 40s last weekend had us turning on the furnace and me thinking of soup. Specifically, a white bean soup with sage.
Turns out, Italians aren’t the only ones who think white beans and sage play nicely together. French and British cooks like the combination too. White beans, sage, chicken broth and onions or shallots are constants in soup recipes, no matter the country. Garlic, carrots, potatoes, ham and cream are among the many variables.
In making this version, I threw in a couple of variables of my own. Some wine, because I like how it turns things that taste like gravy into things that taste like sauce. And some kielbasa, because I found myself at the meat counter in the wonderful, fragrant Kurowski’s Sausage Shop this weekend.
Chunks of ham, leftover chicken or other kinds of sausages would also work in this soup. And honestly, it’s hearty enough that you could forgo meat altogether. But I like the added flavor the occasional bite of meat adds. Regarding that, at first I considered browning the kielbasa pieces in the pan first, to flavor everything else. I decided to add it at the end, letting the other flavors come forward.
White Bean Soup with Sage and Sausage
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 tablespoons butter
- 1-1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 shallots, chopped, about 1 cup (or yellow onions)
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 teaspoons chopped fresh sage, or 1-1/2 teaspoon dried
- 3 cups unsalted or reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup dry white wine
- freshly ground black pepper
- 4 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (or 1 pound dried beans—see Kitchen Notes)
- 5 to 6 ounces kielbasa, halved lengthwise and sliced into thin half moons
- salt, if needed
Instructions
- Heat butter and oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium flame. Sweat shallots and carrots in butter/oil mixture, stirring frequently, until shallots are soft and translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Clear a space in the middle and add garlic and sage. Cook until fragrant, about 45 seconds, stirring.
- Add broth and wine, then beans, and stir to combine. Season generously with pepper. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat. Transfer 3 cups of soup to a food processor and (carefully—it's hot) purée. Return puréed soup to pot, add kielbasa and cook over medium-low flame for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasonings. Depending on how salty your broth and beans are, you may or may not need to add salt. Ladle soup into bowls and serve.
Kitchen Notes
- Slow: Soaking beans overnight is simplicity itself. Just place them in a large pot or bowl and cover with water by at least three inches. Soak them overnight, drain and rinse. They are now ready to cook.
- Fast: Place picked over and rinsed beans in a large stock pot or Dutch oven. Cover with cold tap water by at least three inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 2 minutes. Turn off heat, cover pot and let beans soak for 1 hour. Drain and rinse. They’re now ready to cook.
We’ve been making a lot of soup this fall, usually with beans or lentils. I don’t often put wine in my soups — I should, because it adds quite a bit of flavor. And I don’t often use sausage in soup, and I don’t know why not — the flavor really is so satisfying. This is really a nice soup, and I’m sure I’ll be making some variation of it soon! Or maybe, just as is. 🙂 Thanks.
I’m shivering at my desk here and that soup sure looks like what I need to warm me up. I love bean soup and wonder even though you add the keilbasa at the end would it still be a little overpowering? We have a butcher nearby that brings in really nice but strong Polish keilbasa. It would probably disappear before it hits the soup pot. I guess I could scale it back if needed.
Kitchenriffs, I discovered this trick long ago while making stew. I added water—or perhaps broth—to the browned, floured meat, and it smelled like the gravies my mom and grandmother used to make. Then when I added wine, it suddenly smelled like sauce. Sometimes you want an honest, uncomplicated gravy. But most often, sauce is better.
Randi, kielbasa can sometimes take over, whenever you add it. But that’s not always a bad thing, is it? I found the kielbasa flavor was a little stronger in the leftovers the second night, but it was still delicious. Some boneless, skinless chicken thighs browned at the beginning and then added back to the pot after you purée some of the soup would add meaty bites without the big sausage flavor.
We made a huge pot of white bean, sage (our pot of sage is going great guns right now even with the chilly temps), and Canadian bacon (only because that’s what we had on hand) last weekend, and have been sipping (well, gulping) on it all week. We sautée the Canadian bacon (or sausage) along with onions, garlic, carrots, and celery in olive oil first. We also soaked our beans (Great Northern this time, but cannellini work fine too) for two days this time, changing the water frequently. When the beans start breaking down as we cook them, we add the sautéed veggies and the sage, plus lots of black pepper, fresh thyme, some cumin, some turmeric (which we add to just about everything we cook these days because of its healthful qualities and the fact that it barely adds a flavor note), and a pinch of hot red pepper. Salt goes in at the last minute. You can drizzle a bit of olive oil on the soup the way the Italians do, when serving it.
Believe it or not, we just had our first real fall day in NYC, Finally I can start making some soup. I love sage, but I’ve never thought to put it in soup. Now that Thanksgiving is upon us, how good would plain old packaged stuffing cubes be as croutons on this soup?!?!? Your recipes always sound so good, but they also get me thinking of all sorts of other ways to go. As always, thank you for your thoughtful recipes and inspiration.
Mellen, in Canada, do they just call it bacon? Your soup sounds glorious—enjoy your gulping.
Jeri, I bet the croutons would give it a satisfying crunch. And I’m glad that our recipes spark other ideas for you—that’s one of my favorite ways to cook, starting with a recipe, then making it my own.
I’m going to give you my 2 cents worth on Canadian Bacon.
There is so much confusion with this term, even a little bit here in Canada. The terminology may be regional.
Bacon is bacon up here. Period.
Canadian bacon as I know it, is brined/cured pork loin rolled in peameal, then fried or baked. I’ve also heard it referred to as ham, peameal bacon, back bacon. The Canadian bacon I’ve seen in American grocery stores is round and looks like ham. To Canadians it is the loin rolled in peameal.
It’s mostly referred to as back bacon or peameal.
All bacon is delicious whatever you call it.
Randi, I was hoping you’d weigh in on this. I was being facetious in my Canadian bacon comment above, but I appreciate your clarifying the terminology for us. I’ve also heard the term back bacon. And yes, all bacon is delicious. Dang. Now I want some bacon.