This wholesome soup made with French sausage, Savoy cabbage and borlotti beans will really fill you up on those chilly winter nights.
Ingredients
- 12 shallots, peeled and left whole
- 8 Toulouse sausages or spicy/Lincolnshire sausage
- 2 cloves of garlic, cut into slivers
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
- 400g borlotti beans
- 150g shredded Savoy cabbage
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- 500 ml chicken stock
- 100ml red wine
- Black pepper and sea salt
- Bay leaf
Method
Heat the olive oil in a heavy based sauté pan or saucepan and add the shallots and sausages and sauté for 4-5 mins, browning them all over. Add the carrots and sauté for a further 3 mins, not colouring them too much. Add the garlic and cook for a further 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes, beans, half the wine, stock, bay leaf, season well with sea salt and black pepper.
Bring to the boil and simmer for a further 15 mins on a low heat. If the soup becomes too thick, add a little more stock, then add the finely shredded cabbage, parsley and the rest of the red wine. Mix well and cook for a further 5 mins, until the cabbage is just cooked.
Slice the sausages into three, place in a bowl, and pour over all the bean soup. Season to taste. Serve with crusty bread and chopped parsley.
