When its time for a soul-warming soup, that means its time for my Sausage and Bean Minestra. You'll love the flavors of this soup and nothing could be better on a cold winter day.
When the weather starts to get colder try my Sausage and Bean Minestra to warm your body and soul.
Anyway, you look at it, it’s winter and that means soup weather, the kind that warms you up from the inside out. The kind of soup that almost begs to have a piece of crusty bread dunked into it!
My soups almost always start with a mirepoix or as the Italians would call it a soffrito, which is a diced combination of celery, onions and carrots.
Starting your soup means allowing your vegetables to cook a bit before adding in any water, this process is called sweating down the vegetables. After that, you can begin to add other ingredients to the mix. Whatever I happen to have on hand can find its way into the soup pot, while we start most of our soups from fresh ingredients these days, there was a time that the soup served another purpose, and that was an outlet for leftovers and scraps.
Those were the soups that we loved and some were hard to duplicate because of what was used. I do still make about 50 percent of my soups that way, utilizing leftovers, but some soups just need to be started from scratch. Today’s soup was created from leftover sausage I had on hand.
If you’ve tried my Sausage and Bean Minestra Recipe or any other recipe on askchefdennis.com please don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know where you found it in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on Instagram @chefdenniseats and @chefdennistravels, Twitter and Facebook.
You may also like my Italian Wedding Soup with Tortellini.
When its time for a soul-warming soup, that means its time for my Sausage and Bean Minestra. You'll love the flavors of this soup and nothing could be better on a cold winter day.
- 3 carrots diced
- 1 small onion diced
- 4 stalks celery diced
- 1 cup green beans chopped
- 1 green squash diced
- 2 cups chopped escarole or greens of your choice
- 1 lb sweet sausage
- 2 cups cannellini beans or one small can
- 1 cup uncooked soup size pasta
- 4 cups chicken stock
- season with black pepper and sea salt to taste
- in a small stock pot add a tablespoon of olive oil, the diced carrots, celery and onion. Allow them to cook for 5-7 minutes.
- Add the diced zucchini, and green beans and continue to cook for about 5 minutes
- Remove the sausage from the casing and add it to the stock pot, break apart the sausage and allow it to brown
- Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil, turn down the heat and allow to simmer.
- Add the cannellini beans and continue to simmer for about 30 minutes.
- Add in the pasta and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes.
- add in the escarole and allow to wilt.
- serve with a sprinkle of grated cheese and crusty bread.
Bonnie Banters says
June 4, 2014 at 7:56 pmI remember seeing this article when you originally wrote it. When I need food blogging advice, I always look to yours. It’s so generous of you to share your valuable experience and advice. You are completely right…my time is precious to me!
Chef Dennis Littley says
June 4, 2014 at 8:09 pmThanks Bonnie!
Kimby says
December 31, 2011 at 6:19 amChef Dennis, I really liked the encouraging motto at the end of your post: “Share your knowledge. Together we are stronger.” Your soup was the perfect illustration for the power of “togetherness!”
As for your latest Ask Chef Dennis series (and the comments that followed), I’m grateful for the knowledge that is so graciously shared here. Thank you and Happy New Year!
Tiffany says
December 29, 2011 at 3:22 pmThanks for your perspective Chef! 😀
Sandra's Easy Cooking says
December 24, 2011 at 10:41 pmGreat soup, look absolutely mouthwatering and I enjoyed reading your post!!!!
Wish you Merry Christmas!!!
Heidi says
December 23, 2011 at 4:09 pmYour soup looks amazing!
As always, good advice from Chef Dennis.
Thanks for sharing
Emily @ Life on Food says
December 23, 2011 at 11:43 amThis was a lot of “food for thought”. I think it was one of the best Ask Chef Dennis posts yet. I am going to keep repeating “My time is valuable, and my posts are valuable, I should be compensated for my work.” As always, thanks a bunch for the knowledge.
Jean (Lemons and Anchovies) says
December 22, 2011 at 8:16 pmHi, Dennis. First of all, your soup would be perfect for the cold days we’ve been having here in northern CA–so warm and comforting. Secondly, I completely agree with you about the guest posts and giveaways. Not all offers of product are necessarily worth accepting. I’ve learned to be more discriminating over the last year. Nice to see your validate this point. 🙂
Happy Holidays to you and yours. 🙂
anne says
December 22, 2011 at 9:06 amGood stuff as always, Chef! Have a wonderful holiday season, Anne
Alyssa says
December 22, 2011 at 3:00 amGreat soup. I would love this on a cold evening, but I’m a weirdo and I love soup when it’s hot too, so I’d eat it on a hot summer afternoon too 🙂 Very good tips about guest posting and the value of your time. Thanks for sharing your insight!
Betty Ann @Mango_Queen says
December 21, 2011 at 10:18 pmI love this soup, and the valuable lessons you just shared. I had been thinking a lot about product reviews, guest posts and plans for my blog next year. Your advice is invaluable, Chef Dennis! Thanks for generously sharing them with us! Happy Holidays & may 2012 bring you many more wonderful blessings! Thanks for your friendship & support this past year…couldn’t have done without it, my friend!
Candace says
December 21, 2011 at 8:53 pmThis is the perfect recipe for the pot of stock that I’m making as I type this. I have some Italian Sausage thawing in the kitchen and some kale that I didn’t use for tonight’s dinner. It looks delicious, Chef! Thank you for sharing this with us. Merry Christmas to you and your family! Candace
Joan Nova says
December 21, 2011 at 4:27 pmEscarole, beans and sausage just seem to go together…in my kitchen anyway. Love this soup!
Thanks, again and again, for sharing information.
Best wishes to you and yours for the holidays and new year.
Larry says
December 21, 2011 at 2:42 pmYour soup sounds outstanding and will have to be tried.
Charlie says
December 21, 2011 at 1:24 pmHello Chef Dennis:
Charlie,here.
I have to casseroles I want to make ahead of time for Christmas.
One is a turnip apple scallop that has a white sauce.
The other is a potato casserole with poured whipping cream.
Could these be frozen ahead of time?
I have no fridge room left.
Evan @swEEts says
December 21, 2011 at 1:15 pmI’ve always loved coming to you blog ChefD.. such amazing looking food and enligthening posts. These past few months haven’t allowed me to come by as much as I would have liked, but I need to change that- just like making sure to have coffee with an old friend every once and again. Happy Holidays Chef! I’ll be making this soup in the very near future 🙂
Cucina49 says
December 21, 2011 at 1:10 pmAs a relatively new blogger, I can’t tell you how helpful these “ask Chef Dennis” posts are. I am so happy to learn about blogging etiquette!
Deanna says
December 21, 2011 at 12:50 pmI love beans and sausage together, but I normally do it as more of a stew. I eat soup almost everyday, but I don’t have the bad weather to go with it. Its 60 degrees here and there is not a cloud in the sky.
Kath says
December 21, 2011 at 12:37 pmThat’s one great-looking soup, Chef! I also really appreciate your thoughts on giveaways and guest posting. Great food for thought!
Jen says
December 21, 2011 at 12:36 pmIf only more bloggers would read this Ask Chef Dennis post! I think so many bloggers forget that the products they promote brand them as well – it’s hard for readers to build a relationship and identify with someone who uses and promotes products they’re not interested in. It’s also a huge turnoff to feel like you’re constantly reading a commercial.
And any advertising/promoting gig should be mutually beneficial for you and your blog and the company you’re working with. I don’t always think that value needs to translate into dollars, but I do need to feel like it’s worth the effort as far as the relationship it creates or the exposure it brings.
I think you have to sit down and write a list of goals for your blog and then continually ask yourself when a request comes along, does this help me reach me goal? If the answer is no, then the rest is easy.
Great post Chef!
The Mom Chef ~ Taking on Magazines One Recipe at a Time says
December 21, 2011 at 11:18 amThat soup would go over very well here today with it being as blecky as it is. Can you ship some down to me? I like your idea of sending people rate sheets when they ask for absurd links and things. Very smart! The other stuff isn’t much of a concern since I’m not a big enough fish in our pond to get asked much. 🙂
Keeley @ My Life on a Plate says
December 21, 2011 at 9:16 amI just bookmarked this soup. Thank you for your honesty about guest posting and giveaways. I don’t have a high-traffic blog, but I put 10+ hours a week into cooking, photographing and writing about my recipes, so there’s no way I’m going to sell myself out for a free sample of potato chips! I’ve been pressured by advertisers to do giveaways (and I gave in once). It ended up not being worth my time and the person who won my giveaway never contacted me to claim her prize. Lesson learned.
I get paid a good salary for my professional work, so why wouldn’t I expect to be compensated fairly for product endorsements on my blog. You are so, so right. When I think about what I’ve invested in buying my domain name, designing my blog, groceries, camera, lenses, etc. it made me realize that I don’t need random sponsors to validate me. You cracked me up with the free Kitchen Aid example, though!
I just did a giveaway on my blog, but I sponsored it myself. I’d rather purchase something of value and have complete control over the guidelines for the promotion than have some random company try to use me.
Glad I met you at the Philly Food Writers meeting this fall… you have a great blog!
Chef D says
December 21, 2011 at 10:08 amThank you so much for validating my points! I’m not against give aways by any means, but they have to be ones that you want to do, not that you feel pressured in doing. I do prefer doing my own, but I do enjoy a relationship with Chobani and their feta company, that you will see on my blog from time to time. But anyone that thinks were here to just give away our services needs to rethink their strategy!
It was a pleasure meeting you as well, and I look forward to seeing you at the next meet up!
Happy Holidays!
Dennis
Brian @ A Thought For Food says
December 21, 2011 at 8:59 amExcellent words of wisdom on the guest post etiquette. I get those e-mails from strangers at least three times a week… I don’t know them, why would I ever be interested in that?
Liz says
December 21, 2011 at 8:51 amFabulous soup…I love the combo of sausage, veggies and pasta!!! Weird to wake up to 50º mornings in December…but it will be cold again by Christmas. Thanks, as always, for your great advice on so many topics…I’ve been getting a lot more product offers…and try to only accept ones I’d really use. I am still honored you asked me to guest post for you…one of my first guest posts and a highlight of that year! Happy holidays, my friend!
Suzi says
December 21, 2011 at 8:51 amWow, that soup certainly looks hearty and healthy. Thanks for the advise that answers some questions that have to mind. Happy Holidays!
deana@lostpastremembered says
December 21, 2011 at 7:49 amI was just reading in Saveur about a memory of escarole soup cooking on the stove for hours… I think l like this better… I like things green, not gray! Lovely soup.. have a great holiday!!!
Tina@flourtrader says
December 21, 2011 at 5:24 amThis is a great post. I can see how early on, just having a company wanting to use your pictures or recipes can cause you to be excited and therefore blinded about the benefits to them vs you. Your statements here do get you to thinking properly on the issue.
Your soup does look vibrant and tasty. The best thing is that it has all the food groups in it, so it is perfectly complete.
Enjoy the season Chef!
Elin says
December 21, 2011 at 2:03 amChef Dennis…this soup must taste awesome…bursting with flavors. Awww…now you have made me hungry just looking at it. Wish I could have something hot and flavorful as this soup ! Thank you so much for enlightening us with your write out on product reviews and giveaways. Merry Christmas to you and Lisa and have a wonderful time this Christmas. I can imagine all the christmas spread on your table during this festive occasion :))
Cheers,
Elin
Amelia says
December 21, 2011 at 12:42 amHi Chef Dennis, love your site with so many wonderful, mouth watering recipes.
The soup looks so delicious and appetizing, nice presentation too.
Have a nice day.
Amrita says
December 21, 2011 at 12:36 amLovely recipe for a basic soup! I can see so many ways of customizing this with whatever’s in the pantry and refrigerator. I learnt something new – the soffritto – I’ve just started cooking with this trio and am glad to know the official terms for them. Great post!
Boulder Locavore says
December 20, 2011 at 11:49 pm*wink* (there is probably some punctuation emoticon for that but I’m not cool enough for emoticons).
Love the soup. I’m suffering sucrose poisoning at this point in the season (made Latkes and Roasted Applesauce tonight as a nod to Hanukah starting and have never been happier to not eat sugar) and this soup looks a perfect antecdote. What a beautiful lunch you prepared! I love simple, straight forward food like this.
Thanks for the effort, energy and passion you put into your blog Dennis. Your genuine spirit is clear in every post.
Christie says
December 20, 2011 at 11:47 pmHi Dennis,
I love your site for the fabulous recipes, but also the great advice. I’m sure you will help more than a few newbees avoid some of the pitfalls of this blogging world. I for one, really appreciate it. Stay warm, I’m up in Calgary, Canada we’re born wearing toques:)
Gerry @Foodness Gracious says
December 20, 2011 at 11:27 pmGreat info once again Chef D. It comes at a relevant time for me as just the other day I left a comment on a new blog I had found. The owner emailed me back thanking me for my comment and also commenting on my blog, all very pleasant so far but today she asked if I would like to guest post for her. I only just met her and I know this sounds like first date stuff but I agree with you about taking time to build relationships. Hmm dont know what I’ll do….
Take care..
Brooks at Cakewalker says
December 20, 2011 at 11:15 pmChef, a glorious soup from start to finish! And yes, it does beg for hunk of bread to dunk with. Thank you for sharing this recipe and ACD. I saw the same tweet and had to wonder about the Pandora’s box the tweeter had opened. Well my friend, you have yourself set up nicely for the wintry cold season to come. Keep it merry & bright
Angela says
December 20, 2011 at 11:13 pmSadly, I needed to read this a week ago 🙂 Great post, thanks for the insights. I know better for next time.
Ann says
December 20, 2011 at 11:07 pmDelicious soup and terrific information! I agree with you regarding guest posting…..it should be folks you have a relationship with and you should always put your best work out there! Thanks again, Dennis! You’re awesome!