Slow Cooking Thursday

With three little ones running around (well, two are running, one is being carried, LOL…), I’m finding that on the days that Drew goes into the office (rather than telecommuting), my old friend the Crock Pot makes life so much easier! So I’m trying to make better use of it. Yesterday I figured that I should do something with the escarole we got in our last CSA share, so after looking at a couple recipes, I made up this soup. You could easily vary it by using mini meatballs instead of the sausage, or leaving out the meat entirely and adding mushrooms and using vegetable broth for a vegetarian meal.

Escarole, White Bean, and Sausage Soup

1 lb. sweet Italian sausage
4 to 5 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 head of escarole, torn or chopped into small pieces
1 15-oz. can of cannellini beans
1 tsp. garlic powder
ground black pepper (as desired)
Feta cheese (optional) for garnish

1) Brown sausage on stovetop. Drain off the grease and pat with a paper towel. Put into slow cooker.
2) Put the escarole, beans, onion, broth, and spices in the slow cooker.
3) Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
4) Top with crumbed feta before serving, if desired.

For more great slow cooker recipes, check out Slow Cooker Thursday over at Diary of a SAHM!