Recipe: Navy Bean and Sausage Soup

NAVY BEAN AND SAUSAGE SOUP

1/2 lb dried navy beans
4 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 ribs celery, diced
6 cups chicken broth
1 turnip, diced
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 small bay leaf and 5 sprigs fresh parsley, tied together with kitchen twine
4 Fresh mild Italian sausages
Salt and Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

THE NIGHT BEFORE MAKING THE SOUP:
Soak the navy beans overnight in plenty of cold water.

THE NEXT DAY:
Drain the beans and rinse them under cool water. Set aside.

Place the oil and onion in a soup kettle, set over low heat and cook slowly until the onion has softened, about 5 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium, add the garlic and celery and stir-cook for 1 minute.

Stir in the, broth, navy beans, turnip, allspice, and red pepper flakes. Drop in the bay leaf and parsley bundle. Bring the soup base to a boil, skimming it as necessary; boil 3 minutes. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, or until the beans are quite tender. Discard the parsley-bay leaf bundle. (The soup may be prepared in advance to this point.)

TO FINISH THE SOUP:
Grill the sausages under the broiler or pan-fry them for about 20 minutes or until done, letting them cook on each side.

Slice the sausage into 1/3-inch disks. Add the sausage rounds to the soup and let simmer for 5 minutes longer to blend the flavors. Season with salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste. Ladle the soup into warm bowls and serve piping hot.

Servings: 5
Adapted from source: Washington Post; January 11, 1989