Sausage, White Bean and Swiss Chard Soup

I have been busy researching recipes for using up the fresh greens from my CSA pickup. Yesterday for lunch, Gerry and I tried sauteed Dandelion greens with toasted walnuts and feta cheese and we both decided dandelion greens were a little too bitter for us. We had the greens as a side to some of the leftover Potato and Leek Soup which did a great job of rounding out our lunch.

Tonight's entree made use of the Red Swiss Chard that was in our basket. I hesitated on choosing this particular recipe since it is a Paula Deen recipe (I don't do Paula Deen recipes as a rule), but this one had no butter or cream, so I decided to give it a shot.

It is a pretty straightforward recipe without a ton of ingredients which is probably why we liked it so much. It had some Italian sausage meat, onion, garlic, chicken broth, swiss chard, great Northern beans and salt and pepper. It is amazing this soup had only 8 ingredients because it sure tasted like a lot more.

I love having this basketful of ingredients that I feel I have to use since it has forced me to look for recipes that I wouldn't normally pick to explore. I really can't wait to see what's in the next basket.



Sausage, White Bean and Swiss Chard Soup (serves 5)
Adapted from Paula Deen

1/2 package lean mild Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups chopped Swiss chard, stems removed
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Freshly grated Parmesan for serving (optional)

In a large Dutch oven, cook the sausage, onions, and garlic over medium-high heat until the sausage is browned and crumbly, about 6 minutes. Drain, if necessary. Stir in the broth, Swiss chard, and beans. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer until Swiss chard is tender, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately with freshly grated Parmesan, if desired.

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