Christina's Chicken, Sausage and White Bean Soup

from Picky Palate


Fall Style Chicken Stew with Sausage and Beans
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 - 1 1/2 pounds skinless chicken
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut
4 stalks celery, cut
1 large onion, diced
12 ounces cooked sausage links (andouille or other), sliced
2 15 ounce cans White Beans, drained and rinsed
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons all purpose flour
4 cups chicken broth
kale (optional)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place oil into large Dutch oven over medium heat. Season each chicken breast with a pinch of salt and pepper then place into hot oil. Cook for 5 minutes each side, until golden brown. Once golden brown, reduce heat and cook until cooked through. Remove chicken and transfer to large plate or cutting board. Let rest for 10 minutes then chop or shred.
3. Place same Dutch oven with chicken drippings over medium heat. Add carrots, celery and onion cooking until tender, about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add sliced sausage and beans, stirring to combine. Reduce heat to low.
4. Place butter into a medium pot over medium heat. Once melted whisk in flour until thick and combined. Slowly add chicken broth. Will start out thick, keep whisking and slowly add remaining broth. Whisk for a good 5 minutes then transfer to pot of vegetables. Add kale and cook until wilted. Season with salt, pepper and garlic salt, stirring to combine. Reduce heat to low and let simmer until ready to serve. Garnish with fresh rosemary, if desired.

Makes 8 servings

Christina's Rosemary-Lemon White Bean Dip

source unknown

This takes less than 10 minutes if you start with canned beans, but is best made with freshly cooked dried beans: Cook them in water to cover, with a couple of bay leaves, until very tender. 
2 cups cooked white beans, like cannelini, drained but moist 
1 to 3 cloves garlic, peeled 
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary 
Grated rind of 2 lemons 

1. Put the beans in the container of a food processor with 1 clove of garlic and a healthy pinch of salt. Turn the machine on, and add the 1/4 cup olive oil in a steady stream through the feed tube; process until the mixture is smooth. Taste, and add more garlic if you like; then, puree the mixture again. 

2. Place the mixture in a bowl, and use a wooden spoon to beat in the rosemary, lemon zest and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Taste, and add more salt and pepper as needed. Use immediately, or refrigerate for as long as 3 days. 

Variations 
The puree can form the basis of a wonderful sandwich. For example, combine a thick layer of puree with grilled vegetables and a little olive oil on rolls or between thick slices of crusty bread. It can be used to thicken and flavor cooked beans. Just stir a few spoonfuls of the puree into simmering white beans (if you have pesto, add some at the same time). Thinned with the cooking water from beans or pasta, it makes a good pasta sauce. 

A small mound of the puree served next to braised chicory or other bitter greens (both drizzled with olive oil) makes a fine side dish. Similarly, serve it at the center of a plate of lightly and simply cooked vegetables: carrots, green beans, turnips, asparagus, potatoes or cauliflower. 


Layer the puree with grilled eggplant or zucchini and bake or broil to form a simple vegetable napoleon. You can make this dish even more elaborate by incorporating thin-sliced toast and grated Parmesan cheese in the layers. 


Or roll smoked salmon or thin-sliced cooked vegetables -- again, zucchini and eggplant are good candidates -- around a bit of the puree, and serve as hors d'oeuvres. 

Christina's Kale and Roasted Vegetable Soup

from Simply Recipes by Elise

3 medium carrots, peeled and quartered lengthwise
2 large tomatoes, quartered
1 large onion, cut into 8 wedges or 4 or 5 slices
1/2 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut lengthwise into 1/2 inch thick wedges
6 garlic cloves
1 Tbsp olive oil
6 cups or more of vegetable broth
4 cups of finely chopped kale
3 large fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1 15 oz can of Great Northern white beans, drained

1 Preheat oven to 400°F (reduce heat by 25°F if using convection oven). Brush rimmed baking sheet with a thin coat of olive oil. Arrange carrots, squash, tomatoes, onion, and garlic on sheet. Drizzle with more olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast vegetables until they are brown and tender, stirring occassionally, about 45 minutes.

2 Cut squash and carrots into 1/2 inch pieces; set aside. Peel garlic cloves; place in food processor. Add tomatoes and onion; puree until almost smooth. Pour 1/2 cup broth onto the baking sheet; scrape up any browned bits. Transfer broth and vegetable puree to large pot. Add 5 1/2 cups broth, kale, thyme and bay leaf to pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat. Simmer uncovered until kale is tender, about 30 minutes.

3 Add carrots, beans, and squash to soup. Simmer 8 minutes to blend flavors, adding more broth to thin soup if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaf.

Lorri's Stale Bread Soup (Ribollita con Verdure)

from Rachael Ray

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan, plus some for drizzling
4 thick slices pancetta (not smoked) or bacon (smoked), chopped
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped
4 to 6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium to large onion, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, diced
1 medium, skinny zucchini, cut into thin slices
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup dry red wine, a couple of glugs
1 (15-ounce) can petite diced or chunky style crushed tomatoes
6 cups beef stock, available in boxes on soup aisle (recommended: Kitchen Basics brand)
4 cups, about 1/2 pound, chopped or torn stale bread
2 (15-ounce), small white beans (recommended: Goya brand, smaller than cannellini beans)
4 cups chopped kale or chard
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, to pass at table

Heat a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add oil and the the pancetta or bacon and render 4 minutes. Add rosemary, the garlic, 3/4 of the onions, carrots and zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Saute the veggies 7 to 8 minutes, then add wine and deglaze the pot. Stir in the tomatoes and stock and bring up the heat. When soup boils, reduce to a simmer and stir in bread and beans. Pile the greens into the pot and wilt them into the soup. Simmer the ribollita 5 to 10 minutes, stirring soup as it simmers until it thickens to a dense stew-like consistency. A wooden spoon should be able to stand upright in the pot. Turn off heat, adjust seasonings and ladle into shallow bowls. Top with grated cheese, an additional drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, and a spoonful of reserved finely chopped raw onions.

Christina's Green Minestrone

from Rachael Ray

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
4 slices pancetta or 1/4 pound thick cut prosciutto, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
1 can white beans, cannellini
1 can garbanzo beans
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 cups chicken broth or stock
1 cup ditalini pasta or mini penne pasta
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
10 ounces spinach, stems removed and coarsely chopped, or any other dark greens
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano, plus extra to pass at the table
12 to 16 leaves fresh basil, torn or shredded or 1/4 cup chopped parsley leaves

Heat a soup pot over medium high heat. Add oil and pancetta or prosciutto. Saute 2 minutes and add onions, celery, garlic, zucchini and bay to the pot. Season vegetables with salt and pepper, to your taste. Saute vegetables 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add white beans, garbanzo beans and chicken broth to the pot. Cover soup and bring to a boil. Add pasta and green beans to the soup and cook 8 minutes, or until pasta is just tender. Stir in spinach to wilt, 1 minute. Stir in grated cheese and ladle soup into bowls. Top soup with torn or shredded basil or chopped parsley.

Christina's White Bean, Rice and Spinach Soup

Ingredients
3 14-ounce cans vegetable broth
1 15-ounce can tomato puree
1 15-ounce can white or Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup uncooked rice
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
8 cups coarsely chopped fresh spinach or kale leaves
Finely shredded Parmesan cheese
Directions

1. In a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker combine broth, tomato puree, beans, rice, onion, garlic, basil, salt, and pepper.
2. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 5 to 7 hours or on high-heat setting for 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 hours.
3. Stir spinach into soup. Serve with Parmesan cheese. Makes 6 main-dish servings.

Christina's Tuscan Bean Soup

1/2 C chopped onion
1/2 C celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 C. sliced yellow squash or zucchini
1/2 tsp dry Italian seasoning
12 oz Italian sausage links, cut into 1/2 inch slices (or ham, cubed)
1 1/4 C dry Great Northern beans, soaked, cooked and ready to eat
4 beef bouillon cubes
1 14.5 oz can Italian diced tomatoes
5 oz spinach (optional)
1/3 C red wine (optional)

In a stock pot, drizzle olive oil and add onion and celery. Saute until onion is clear. Add garlic, squash, seasoning and sausage. Saute until sausage is cooked and squash is tender. Add beans, bouillion, 6 C water, tomatoes and wine. Heat through. Serve hot.