Sausage & Bean Soup
By Soil Association
Published on 25 April 2022
This recipe comes from Eric Treuille of Books for Cooks, a cookery mecca in Notting Hill, London. Eric says, "We use chicken, honey and herb sausages in this dish but other types work just as well."Time and servings
50 minsTotal time
4Servings
20 minsPrep time
30 minsCooking time
Ingredients
- 200 g of sausages
- 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tsp of chilli flakes, according to taste
- 400 g of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 750 ml of chicken stock
- 1 handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped
- 250 g of cherry tomatoes, halved
- 4 tbsp of olive oil, plus extra to serve
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
Method
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 180˚C (350˚F/Gas 4). Place the tomatoes on a baking tray, drizzle with half the oil, sprinkle with a couple of pinches each of salt and freshly ground black pepper, then turn to coat well. Roast for 15 minutes or until softened and slightly wilted, then remove from the oven and drizzle with the balsamic vinegar.Step 2
Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes or until soft. Stir in the sausagemeat, garlic, and chilli flakes, and cook, stirring, for 5–10 minutes or until the onion is pale yellow. Stir in the beans and stock, bring to the boil, adjust the heat to a steady simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices and stir in half the parsley or basil.Step 3
Ladle out a cupful of the beans and tomatoes without too much liquid, and whiz until smooth in a blender. Stir back into the pot, then simmer the soup steadily for 10 minutes. If it is too thick, thin with a little hot stock or water. Stir in the rest of the herbs and adjust the seasoning, adding salt, freshly ground black pepper, chilli flakes, and balsamic vinegar to taste. Ladle into warmed bowls, drizzle with a little more olive oil, and serve.