Cabbage, White Bean & Sausage Soup

A warm, hearty, stick to your ribs kind of soup is just what is needed on a chilly rainy Vancouver winter's day. This soup is a snap to make and requires very few ingredients, making it an easy weeknight meal. Both our beef or pork sausages work great in this soup, and try different flavoured sausages to change the flavour of the soup. Red or green cabbage will work fine in this soup, but note that red cabbage will give you a purple coloured end product. 

• 10 cups Chicken or vegetable stock
• 4 cups Cabbage, sliced thinly (about half of a head)
• 3 Sweet Italian Sausages, cooked and sliced into 1-inch chunks
• 1/3 cup Tomato paste
• 2 Garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Shallot, minced
• 1 tsp Celery seed
• 1 tsp Dried Basil
• 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
• 1 (15 oz) can Cannellini (or Red Kidney) beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt & freshly-ground black pepper

Directions:

1. In a stockpot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat; add garlic and shallot and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
2. Add cabbage, stock, tomato paste, celery seed, basil and thyme and bring to a light boil.
3. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and add cooked sausage.
4. Simmer until cabbage is soft, about 20 minutes, then add beans. Bring soup back to a simmer.
5. Season with Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper as desired.