White Bean Soup With Fennel

Submitted by Penny Stettinius

"Fennel grows so well in our garden we tend to use it often. And since we love beans this is something that just came to me. Add whatever smoked sausage you like. I usually use Trietler's garlic sausage. My office is in a strip mall and 2 doors down is a sausage maker who makes THE best sausages. Treitler's Sausages was originally located in Chalmette, LA but Katrina wiped them out. They've relocated up here in Picayune, MS, and their loyal followers make the hour trip up here almost once a week just for sausage. It's that good!"

 

• Ready In: 2hrs 20mins
• Ingredients: 12
• Serves: 6

ingredients

• 1 lb white beans
• 7 cups chicken stock
• 1 large potato, peeled and cubed
• 1 lb smoked sausage, sliced
• 2 onions, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large fennel bulb, chopped
• 1⁄4 cup fennel leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• Tabasco sauce

directions

1. Heat a large pot and using enough olive oil to coat the bottom add the onions, garlic and fennal and saute about 10 minutes.
2. Add the beans, stock, and bay leaf.
3. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer and cover.
4. Cook until the beans are soft, approximately 1 1/2 hours.
5. Add the potataoes and sausages and Tabasco and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and about ready to fall apart.
6. Season again with salt and pepper and Tabasco.
7. Serve and garnish with either a dab of unsalted butter or fruity, extra virgin olive oil and fennel fronds.