sausage + white bean soup

I like to keep a few sausages in the freezer, wrapped individually, for recipes just like this one. Add in some spinach or swiss chard when you add the beans for a great way to add in some extra nutrients to the soup.

1 hot or sweet Italian or turkey sausage link, casing removed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 small onion, finely minced
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
1 small garlic clove, finely minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken or beef stock
1/2 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1. In a medium saucepan, cook sausage over medium heat until browned all all sides, breaking up into smaller pieces, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Discard oil from pan.
2. Add olive oil to pan and cook onions until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add garlic and thyme and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add stock to deglaze pan, scraping up any browned bits on bottom of pan. Add beans and return sausage to pan and simmer until warmed through, about 10 minutes.

Serves 1.