Hearty Sausage Soup

Soup is the ultimate food, as far as I'm concerned. It's inexpensive, easy to make, a great vehicle for leftovers, and there's just something comforting and "homey" about a bowl of soup. This recipe evolved while I was trying to use up some of the meat that had made its way to the bottom of the chest freezer, and it's now a family favorite! Use homemade broth and dried, cooked beans to reduce the cost!

Ingredients:

1lb sweet italian sausage (if links, remove from casings)
1 large Vidalia onion, chopped (about 2 cups onion)
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped (about 1 1/2 cups carrots)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 tsp basil
1 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp sage
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
2 cups leafy greens (spinach, mustard greens, kale, escarole, etc), rinsed and torn
about 5 cups broth (chicken or veggie)
1 can beans (Great Northern, kidney or black beans work best), lightly drained
1 cup small pasta (I prefer a tricolor pasta, but use any you like!)

Directions:
In a large dutch oven or stock pot, brown the sausage and break up the pieces.

Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, basil, rosemary, sage and pepper. Stir to mix well. Cook about 7-8 minutes, or until the veggies are just tender.

Add the diced tomatoes and leafy greens, cook about 3-5 minutes until heated through.

Add the broth and beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Add the pasta, cook about 8 minutes or until al dente.

Total Cost:

Sausage: $1.99
Onion: $0.85
Celery: $0.25
Carrots: $0.25
Garlic: $0.10
Tomatoes: $0.85
Greens: $1.00
Beans: $1.00
Broth: FREE! (use homemade veggie or chicken broth!)
Pasta: $0.25
Seasonings: $0.15

Grand Total: $6.69 for 8-10 servings!