Springtime sure has a funny way of showing up every year here in Charleston, South Carolina. Sometimes, we skip over it altogether and go straight to balmy, sticky summer days. Other times, we get a week of warm weather that tricks us into thinking that it's the right time to bust out the skirts and shorts and then we go right back into weeks of windy, cold rainstorms.

That's where we've been with this chilly weather the past few weeks and I felt like making something very easy, comforting, and filling. A few things to know about this recipe: I usually keep most of these ingredients on hand between the pantry, fridge, and freezer. I also always keep dried beans on hand simply because they're so cheap and easy to work with by just soaking them overnight. As long as you remember to soak the beans overnight, you'll be set. 

If you feel like using canned beans, that's totally fine as well, I just prefer soaked beans for soups since they don't get too mushy while cooking them. You can also use fresh spinach or kale here, but I find that the frozen chopped greens are a little easier for the soup since I don't have to worry about the woody stems being a hassle with prep work. Why fuss over prepping if you can have a great meal without the extra work? I'm all for convenience as long as it's high-quality, so let's get to it!

Navy Bean and Sausage Soup

Cook time: 2 hours

Serves: 6-8

Olive oil 

1lb dried navy beans, soaked overnight 

1 16oz package ground Italian sweet sausage

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced

2 small carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Kosher salt

Cracked black pepper 

3 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 large bay leaf

10 cups unsalted beef broth or water (see note)

2 sprigs fresh rosemary, stemmed and chopped 

1 10oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained thoroughly (see note)

Grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish 

Note: you may need additional broth or water for the soup as the beans cook and get tender. Depending on the brand you use, you may notice this. No worries! Just adjust the seasoning accordingly. As for the thawed spinach, make sure to drain thoroughly, since it has a ton of water. I do this by wringing the spinach in a clean kitchen towel and squeezing the excess liquid out into a bowl and discarding it.

In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pot. Add the ground sausage and break it apart with the back of your spoon.

Once the sausage is browned and crisp, set aside to drain the fat off, either in a colander or a paper towel-lined plate. Discard most of the fat rendered from the sausage leaving just a little bit in the pot (about 2 tablespoons) to sauté the veggies. You're going to want to take advantage of all the browned good bits at the bottom of the pot here and add the diced onion, carrots, and celery.

Add a little bit of kosher salt to the onion to get them sweating, this will allow the veggies to pick up all the good burnty bits at the bottom of the pot. When the onions are translucent, after about 5-6 minutes, add the garlic. Cook the garlic until it's fragrant. Once you can smell the garlic, add the drained beans. This will prevent the garlic from burning. 

Add the dried oregano, red pepper flakes, and bay leaf. Then, pour in the broth or water and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer the soup for an hour, skimming any excess fat or crud that rises to the edges of the pot (pictured below, before skimming). Remember, dried and soaked beans’ cooking times may vary. You’ll just want to simmer them until they’re tender and that can often take up to 2 hours.

Once the beans are soft, add the sausage back to the pot to warm it through. Add the chopped rosemary and stir. Turn the heat to low and then add the thawed and drained spinach. Doing this last will make sure the spinach stays bright and vibrant while being just warmed through. Season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper and serve, garnishing with grated parmesan cheese to your liking. Any extra servings can easily be frozen for another day!

¡Buen provecho!