OK, you probably think I’ve gone coo-coo with this one. (Anyone know how to spell that?) We’re trying to eat a bit less red meat, and my hubby found this chicken and apple sausage. I shoved it into the freezer to think about it for a few weeks. Then we got a break from the heat and I found myself chopping vegetables for soup. As I chopped away, I decided to add beans and tomatoes with chillies. Just as I thought it was finished as a vegetarian soup, I changed directions and added the sausage. See what you think.

We were divided. My husband loved it; I would have preferred a regular sausage. Every time I got a bite of apple sausage, the sweet apple flavor seemed out of place. But I’m pretty conservative, flavor-wise. If you like mixing it up, you’ll love this. And if you don’t have chicken sausage, try any sausage.

Ingredients
1 TBS olive oil
1/2 green pepper chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
8 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 large potatoe, peeled and cut into cubes
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes with green chillies – all of it
1 16 oz bag of frozen corn, green beans and other veggies
2 cans chicken broth
2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
4 bay leaves
1/2 tsp basil leaves
1 tsp garlic salt (or add garlic with other veggies)
5 chicken and apple sausages – fully cooked – about 1 1/2 pounds

Directions
Put olive oil in a large soup pot and turn heat on medium.
When oil is hot add the raw vegetables and sautee for a few minutes until they’re soft.
Add beans, tomatoes, broth and about 4 cups (or more) of water.
Add the herbs, garlic salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes.
Chop the sausage into bite sized pieces and add to the soup.
Boil another 10 minutes and then adjust seasoning to your taste.

Vegetables and beans always make a tasty soup. Adding sausage steps up the flavor level, as well as adding another protein. This is a very hearty soup you can enjoy for lunch or dinner.