Name: Smoked Sausage & White Bean Chowder
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 12 ounces smoked sausage; 1 medium yellow onion; 2 stalks celery; 1 large carrot; 3 cloves garlic; 1 large russet potato; 15 ounces white beans; 3 cups chicken broth; 1 cup heavy cream; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; 1 bay leaf; 0.5 teaspoon smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon salt; 0.5 teaspoon black pepper; fresh parsley

Smoked Sausage & White Bean Chowder

SoupWeeknightcomfort foodsmokysoupweeknight

15 minPrep30 minCook4Serves

Ingredients

12 ouncessmoked sausage (kielbasa or andouille)
1 mediumyellow onion
2 stalkscelery
1 largecarrot
3 clovesgarlic
1 largerusset potato
15 ounceswhite beans (cannellini or great northern, drained and rinsed)
3 cupschicken broth
1 cupheavy cream
1 tablespoonolive oil
1 teaspoondried thyme
1bay leaf
½ teaspoonsmoked paprika
1 teaspoonsalt
½ teaspoonblack pepper
·fresh parsley

Method

01
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sliced sausage and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned on the edges. Transfer sausage to a plate.
02
In the same pot, add the diced onion, celery, and carrot. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and the onion becomes translucent.
03
Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
04
Stir in the cubed potato, white beans, chicken broth, thyme, bay leaf, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil.
05
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 15-18 minutes, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
06
Using a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon, lightly mash about one-third of the beans and potatoes against the side of the pot to thicken the chowder.
07
Return the browned sausage to the pot along with the heavy cream. Stir well and simmer for 3-4 minutes to heat through and let flavors meld.
08
Remove the bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.
09
Ladle into bowls and garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

Spice Tips

For a gentle kick, add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper with the other spices. If you prefer more heat, use andouille sausage instead of kielbasa and add a pinch of red pepper flakes when browning the sausage. A dash of hot sauce at the table lets each person customize their bowl.

This chowder thickens as it sits, so add a splash of broth or water when reheating. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For a lighter version, substitute half-and-half for the heavy cream.