Farmhouse Winter Soup

The perfect soup to ward off cold weather. Hearty and full of both meat and vegetables.

Recipe Ingredients:

1 cup dried cranberry beans, rinsed and picked through
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 (14.5-ounce) can) chicken broth
8 ounces Genoa salami, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
8 ounces sweet Italian sausage links, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
1 small head green cabbage, cored and cut into 8 wedges
4 celery ribs, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 beet, peeled and cut in 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup fresh or loose-pack frozen peas
10 slices of crusty Italian bread, cut in half and toasted
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Cooking Directions:

1. In a large heavy-bottomed stockpot, cover beans with at least 2 inches of cold water. Allow to soak overnight; drain and set aside.
2. Heat pot over medium high heat. Add oil, and when hot, but not smoking, brown stew meat on all sides, about 5 minutes. Drain fat. Deglaze with chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add reserved beans, salami, sausage, cabbage, celery, carrots and beet. Stir in enough water to cover by 1-1/2 inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface and discard. Cover, reduce heat and gently simmer for 1 hour. Add salt and pepper and simmer, covered, until everything is tender, about 30 minutes; add a little water if mixture is too thick. Stir in peas and simmer, uncovered, until tender, about 5 minutes.
3. To serve, place a half a slice of toast in the bottom of each soup bowl. Ladle soup into bowls and top with another toast. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and serve warm.

Makes 10 servings.