Creamy Cabbage, Bacon & Sausage Soup

Time: 90 minutes

Music Selection: Kelly Clarkson – Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)

Summer vacation is nearly over and for whatever reason, I love to make soups and hearty foods in the Fall. Using vegetables from your garden or a local farmer’s market make this even more delicious. This soup is healthy, simple to make and will make you stronger – cabbage, garlic, carrots, onions, celery, beans, and meat…. you will feel amazing and this soup tastes even better the next day!

Ingredients:

1 pound hot Italian sausage, casing removed (as an alternative you could use ground turkey, but you then need to add in some extra chili flakes)

1 pound bacon, cut into ½ inch slices

1 onion, diced

3 carrots, diced

4 stalks celery, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 can pinto beans (398 mL) drained and rinsed

8 cups chicken broth

1 small head of cabbage, thinly sliced (core removed)

1 Tbsp oregano

1 bay leaf

½ cup heavy cream

2 Tbsp grainy or Dijon mustard

Salt/pepper

Serve with buttered toast or buttery biscuits

Directions:

In large pot, fry the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside. Leave the bacon grease in the pot.

Fry the sausage in the bacon grease until cooked. Remove sausage from the pot and set aside.

Remove all but Tbsp of bacon grease in pot. Saute the onion, carrot and celery until tender. Add the garlic and cabbage and saute for about 10 minutes.

Add in the chicken stock and bay leaf, oregano and salt/pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and let cook until cabbage is tender – about 30 – 45 minutes. When cabbage is cooked, add in the beans and meat. Mix well.