Simple, Healthy Chicken Sausage, Chard and Bean Soup

Ingredients:

2 Chicken Sausage, sliced into discs (I use Aidells, but any “lighter” sausage is fine)

1 can cannellini beans, rinsed

1 can diced tomatoes (use juice also)

1/2 c. frozen chard, kale or spinach

15 baby carrots, sliced into discs

1/3 c. frozen corn

1 pint homemade chicken broth

2 cups water

1 chicken boullion cube (if your broth needs more flavor)

1 T ketchup

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp + dried pepper flakes (to your taste)

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried onion flakes

1 tsp dehydrated sliced garlic, crumbled (optional)

1 T dehydrated mushrooms, crumbled (optional)

1/8 tsp fennel seed, slightly chopped to release flavor

Pepper

Salt

Instructions:

Literally throw it all in a pot. Bring to a light boil and let cook for 5 minutes. Turn heat to low and let simmer for at least 20 minutes, preferably an hour— the longer the better. The optional, dried items are what I have hanging around.

Soup is VERY forgiving. If you like a lot of meat in your soup, add more! If you like more carrots, no beans, do what YOU like. You don’t always have to follow a recipe exactly, I know I never do!

This soup tastes great with grilled garlic bread or a grilled cheese sandwich…yum.

Makes 4-6 large servings.