Spring is just around the corner, but winter seems to be lingering a little longer. I thought I’d bid the cold weather farewell with a hearty, comforting soup.
This soup is reminiscent of Pasta e Fagioli, but I created a white version using creamy white beans, homemade chicken sausage, and plenty of herbs. It’s finished with a little shredded Parmesan and a garlicky parsley aioli that melts into the warm broth.
Serve it with a crusty baguette and a crisp green salad, and you’ve got a satisfying meal that’s perfect for these last chilly days of winter.
Ingredients for the Chicken Sausage
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or 1½ pounds ground chicken)
2 eggs
3 cloves garlic
1½ tablespoons ground sage
1 teaspoon ground marjoram
1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Zest of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil, for cooking
If you’re using whole chicken breasts, place them in a food processor and pulse until they reach a ground consistency. Transfer the chicken to a bowl and add the eggs, mixing well to combine.
Grate the garlic directly into the bowl, then add the sage, marjoram, Herbs de Provence, Parmesan, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. If you’re using chicken breasts rather than ground chicken, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the mixture to help keep the sausage from becoming dry.
Mix everything well.
Heat a little olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken sausage mixture and cook, breaking it apart with a spoon as it browns. Continue cooking until the sausage is cooked through.
Ingredients for the Soup
1 package dried white beans (I used navy beans, but Cannellini or Great Northern beans would also work well. I’d use any white bean except garbanzo beans.)
8 cups water or chicken stock (if using stock, adjust the salt accordingly)
1½ pounds chicken sausage, prepared as above
1 large onion, diced
6 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (1-pound) box short pasta, such as tubetti, elbows, or shells (I used shells)
Juice of 1 lemon
1 Parmesan rind, optional
¼ cup freshly chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley, plus 1 tablespoon for garnish
2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Add the dried beans and water or chicken stock to a pressure cooker and cook according to your pressure cooker’s directions.
If you don’t have a pressure cooker or are short on time, you can use canned beans instead. Add 2 cans of white beans, including their liquid, to a large stockpot along with 3 additional cups of water or chicken stock.
While the beans cook, dice the onion and grate 4 of the garlic cloves.
Heat the olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the cooked chicken sausage and stir to combine with the onions and garlic.
Once the beans are cooked, transfer them to a large stockpot if necessary. Add the sausage mixture, Parmesan rind, onions, and garlic. If the liquid has reduced too much, add additional water or stock until you reach a nice, soupy consistency. Keep in mind that the soup will thicken slightly as it cooks.
Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. Add the lemon juice and pasta shells, then simmer until the pasta is al dente.
Grate the remaining 2 garlic cloves directly into the soup and give everything a good stir. Remove the Parmesan rind, then stir in the parsley.
Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the shredded Parmesan, a sprinkle of fresh parsley, and a drizzle of the garlic-parsley aioli.
For the Garlic-Parsley Aioli
4 tablespoons light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons water
1 garlic clove, grated
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
Add the mayonnaise and water to a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Grate in the garlic and add the lemon juice. Stir in the parsley and whisk until everything is well combined and smooth.
Drizzle over the soup just before serving.
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