Another hearty soup from The Silver Palate, this time with that winning combination of sausage and beans.

White Bean and Sausage Soup with Peppers
4 to 6 portions

4 tablespoons sweet butter
2 cups finely chopped yellow onion
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
6 parsley sprigs
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
4 cups chicken stock
1 1/4 cups dried white beans, soaked overnight*
1 sweet red and 1 green pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound precooked kielbasa (I used sweet Italian sausage and cooked it before adding to the soup.)
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1. Melt the butter in a pot. Add onions, carrots and garlic and cook, covered, over low heat until vegetables are tender and lightly colored, about 25 minutes.

2. Add parsley, thyme and bay leaf and pour in the stock. Drain the beans and stir them into the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until beans are very tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

3. Pour the soup through a strainer, reserving the stock; discard the bay leaf, and transfer the solids to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade (or your blender), or use a food mill fitted with a medium disc. Add 1 cup of the cooking stock if using the processor and process until smooth.

4. Return the puréed soup to the pot and stir in additional cooking liquid, 2 to 3 cups, until the soup is of the desired consistency.

5. Cut away the stems and ribs of the peppers and dice them. Heat olive oil in a small skillet, add peppers and sauté over low heat, stirring occasionally, until tender but still crunchy, about 15 minutes. Transfer peppers to the soup with a slotted spoon.

6. Skin the kielbasas if necessary, dice it, and add to the soup. Set over medium heat and cook, partially covered, until heated through, about 15 minutes. Season to taste. Serve immediately.

*If you’re like me and decide to make this soup the day of, don’t worry about soaking dried beans overnight and instead opt for canned beans. Once you drain them you can throw them into the pot to warm up with the herbs at Step 2; just reduce simmering time to 15-20 minutes as the beans are ready to eat.