White Bean Soup With Fennel - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 lb white beans
7 cups chicken stock
1 large potato, peeled and cubed
1 lb smoked sausage, sliced
2 onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large fennel bulb, chopped
1/4 cup fennel leaves
1 bay leaf
olive oil
salt and pepper
Tabasco sauce

Preparation

Heat a large pot and using enough olive oil to coat the bottom add the onions, garlic and fennal and saute about 10 minutes.
Add the beans, stock, and bay leaf.
Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer and cover.
Cook until the beans are soft, approximately 1 1/2 hours.
Add the potataoes and sausages and Tabasco and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and about ready to fall apart.
Season again with salt and pepper and Tabasco.
Serve and garnish with either a dab of unsalted butter or fruity, extra virgin olive oil and fennel fronds.