Name: Spicy White Bean and Cabbage Soup
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Soup
Ingredients: 1 pound bulk spicy pork sausage, crumbled; 1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes, un-drained; 3 c. chicken or vegetable stock; 1 T. oregano, dried; 2 t. garlic powder; 3” piece hard Parmesan rind; 2 cans (15 oz.) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed; salt and pepper, to taste; 3 cups fresh cabbage, cut into bite sized pieces; Fresh parsley, washed, stems removed and finely chopped; Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

One of the great things about soup is that you can add a not-so-exciting ingredient like cabbage and spice it up with other ingredients to give it some flavour. In this case, the combination includes spicy pork sausage, Parmesan and cannellini beans and the result is Spicy White Bean and Cabbage Soup.

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Choosing the right cabbage

There’s no right or wrong cabbage to used which is why we kept it pretty blank on the recipe. The one we have in our house the most is sweetheart cabbage which is a green cabbage variety. It works in anything from soup and coleslaw to cooked with the Sunday roast.

You could try other varieties. Red cabbage will make the colour very red and isn’t always the best option. You could also try things like Bok Choy which is a Chinese type that has a little bit of a peppery taste – so it will make the whole dish a little spicier.

What you need

1 pound bulk spicy pork sausage, crumbled
1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes, un-drained
3 c. chicken or vegetable broth (stock)
1 T. oregano, dried
2 t. garlic powder (mixes in easier than cloves garlic)
3” piece hard Parmesan rind
2 15 oz. cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
salt and pepper, to taste
3 cups fresh cabbage, cut into bite sized pieces

Garnish (optional):

Fresh parsley, washed, stems removed and finely chopped
Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

How to make Spicy White Bean and Cabbage Soup

Crumble the sausage and add it to a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until browned then drain the excess fat and return it to the ring

Add the tomatoes, stock, oregano, garlic powder and Parmesan rind then stir and increase the heat to medium-high

Bring to the boil then reduce to medium-low and add the beans. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally then add salt and pepper to taste

Add the cabbage and cook again for 10-15 minutes

Remove from the heat and transfer the soup into bowls then top with chopped parsley and grated Parmesan. You may want to add a bit of salt but remember, Parmesan brings additional salt to the recipe so be gentle!

How to store and freeze the soup

Once you have made the soup, store it in the fridge in a lidded container for up to three days. If you don’t think you will get through it all or want to make it in bigger batches, you can also freeze the soup. It will store for at least a month and when you want to eat it, remove the night before, defrost then reheat on a low heat on the stove.

Recipe tips

The recipe uses cannellini beans for this, but you could also go with something like a Northern white bean if you couldn’t get your hands on them. You could also swap the tomatoes for a fire roasted variety if you like stronger flavours.

If you find the soup is a little thick, you can add more stock. If is too thin, then cook a little longer until it reaches the desired thickness. Serve with some fresh crusty bread.

Yield: 8 portions