Bean, Sausage, and Sweet Potato Soup

A comfort soup at its best! Great in fall and winter

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 5 1⁄2 cups water
• 1 1⁄2 cups  dry great northern beans
• 3  cloves garlic, minced
• 1  bay leaf
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 2  cups chicken broth
• 1  tablespoon tomato paste
• 1  tablespoon water
• 1⁄4 lb Italian sausage, cut into 1/2 ",pieces
• 1⁄2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1  lb sweet potato
• 3  green onions
•  salt
•  ground black pepper

Directions

1. In a 4 qt saucepan, combine the beans, garlic, bay leaf, allspice, broth and 5 1/2 cups water.
2. Cook, partially covered, until beans are tender, about 50 minutes.
3. Discard bay leaf.
4. In a blender puree 1 cup cooked beans with 1 cup cooking liquid, and return to pan.
5. In a small bowl, stir together tomato paste and 1 Tbs water and stir into beans with sausage and Worcestershire sauce.
6. Simmer soup, covered, for 15 minutes.
7. Soup may be prepared up to this point 3 days ahead.
8. While soup is simmering, peel sweet potatoes and cut into 1/2" pieces.
9. Steam until tender, about 10 minutes.
10. Stir potatoes, 3 chopped scallions, and salt and pepper to taste into soup.
11. Serve soup garnished with scallion greens.