Soups are in full swing again in a major way. It’s been cold here– like low 40’s cold.
Yep, I know, I am getting soft. I used to think 15F was cold, complete with whipping winds, freezing toes and piles of ice and snow on the side of the road. No more of that and I can’t say I miss it.
I’ll take my mild winter days where a hat may be necessary (but probably not) and a cup of tea or hot soup is just what you need to warm your bones and soul.
Specifically, this Collard Greens Soup.
It has a wonderfully complex and flavorful broth that has some body to it. The collard greens cook long enough to almost melt and are so buttery and tender. Add in the creamy beans and chunks of spicy sausage and this is winter warmth in a bowl. This is one of the best soups I’ve ever made…seriously, that good!
I am totally loving it and can not wait to make it again (which could be tomorrow)! I am classifying it as a Sunday Supper because of the cooking time. It is not a lot of work but does need to cook for 90 minutes. So, no, not a weeknight dinner. Unless, of course, you make it in advance and reheat!
NOTES:
- I usually buy Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage from the butcher case at Whole Foods Market or PCC Natural Markets. They are usually sold in Pork Casings so I crumble them out of the casing. Also, I really like the texture and flavor of the crumbled sausage over sausage rounds but if that is the only kind you can get, just chop them into small to medium sized chunks.
- Anasazi Beans are a heirloom bean from New Mexico. They taste like a cross between a creamy white bean and a soft pinto bean.
- Here are two other soup recipes where I’ve used Parmesan Rind. Mushroom Barley with Kale Soup and Italian Butterbean and Chicken Sausage Soup. I discuss it in detail in the NOTES section of the Mushroom Barley.
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Collard Greens Soup with Beans and Chicken Sausage.
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions quartered and thinly sliced
- 3 medium cloves garlic chopped
- 1/2 pound spicy Italian chicken sausage crumbled
- 8 ounces mushrooms cleaned, stems trimmed and quartered
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 3 cups Anasazi Beans see NOTE for substitutions
- 2 heads collard greens cleaned, stems removed and chopped into bite sized pieces
- 1 small parmesan rind
- 4 cups organic chicken broth
- 6 cups water
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Peel and quarter two medium yellow onions and then thinly slice.
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Chop garlic and crumble sausage out of casings. Wash mushrooms, trim ends and quarter.
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If using canned beans, rinse and drain. If using cooked, measure three cups of beans without bean cooking liquid and set aside. Remove stems from collard greens and cut into bite sized pieces (about 1" squares).
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Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Once hot, oil olive oil and then sliced onions. Cook onions, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 12 minutes.
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Add garlic and sausage and cook, breaking up sausage with a spoon for 5 minutes.
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Next toss in mushrooms, bay leaf, fennel seeds, paprika, salt and pepper. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes.
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Finally, add collards, beans, broth, water and parmesan rind. Raise heat and bring to a boil.
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Once boiling, lower to a simmer and cook, uncovered 60 minutes.
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Serve hot topped with whole wheat croutons and Enjoy!
Recipe Makes 14 Cups or 7 Servings
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Just want to make sure I’ve got this right. If using dried beans, I cook them first, and drain them. Then I add the fully cooked beans to the recipe and cook them another hour?
Do the beans fall apart? Why do I not just soak them and then drain and add to the other ingredients before cooking one hour?
Hi Kerry,
I have this information in the notes section of the recipe:
Anasazi Beans are a heirloom bean from New Mexico. They taste like a cross between a creamy white bean and a soft pinto bean. If you can find them and want to cook up a batch (that is what I did in advance), click here for my tutorial. If you can’t find them or don’t have time, I suggest using canned White Beans.
The cooking time is slightly different for this bean so I prefer to add already cooked beans for this soup. You could do it, just watch closely so that they don’t get overcooked.
I made this tonight. Amazing combination of flavors. REALLY good… It’s a keeper!
Thanks for the feedback Robin – so happy you loved it!! 🙂
This sounds like a great recipe to try. Thanks for sharing this..
Simon
Sure! Thanks Simon 🙂
This soup was AMAZING!! I’m not normally a huge collard greens fan, but I could eat this soup any day of the week! So delish, thank you!!
Hi Katie!
I’ve said it before but this is one of my all-time favorite soups – I think it could turn anyone into a collard green lover 😉 Thanks for reading and cooking my recipes!
This was incredible. The house smelled great. Thank you for the recipe.
So glad you liked it Valerie – that is one of my all-time favorite soups!