White Bean, Chicken and Sausage Soup

I have this thing for soups.  I can't get enough of them!  And there are so many different kinds, which is nice because I can eat them all the time and not feel like I'm eating the same ones.

Plus, they're a great go-to for simple family meals. (And they Freeze well!)

One of my favorite things to do is find a base recipe I like, and experiment with it until I get something I LOVE.

Today I want to share a recipe I did just that with!

I found a recipe for a sausage and spinach stew on Pinterest.  I made it and it was good, but I knew I could do more to make it my own...something that would be more to my family's liking.

I hope you'll try it and tell me what you think.  And don't be afraid to make your own changes too!

Ingredients:

3 cans (15 oz.) of Great White Northern Beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (14.5oz.) of diced tomatoes
5 cups chicken broth
1 lb. smoked sausage, sliced into rounds
2 chicken breasts
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. onion powder
salt and pepper to taste.

Place the chicken breast (I used frozen), in the bottom of your crock pot.  Place beans, tomatoes, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper, and smoked sausage on top.

 Pour chicken broth over the mixture and cook over low for 4-5 hours or until chicken is cooked through.

 Remove chicken breasts and shred and then return to crock pot.  Stir and allow mixture to simmer for another 30 minutes or so.

I serve mine with hot, crusty bread for a complete meal.  You'll notice that there was no spinach in this recipe.  My kids didn't like the texture of it in soup.  But I must say, if I were making it just for me, I would definitely add the spinach again!  And the next time I make it, I may try sneaking some other veggies like carrots and celery in just so my kids get some extra.  And if you like some heat, try adding some red pepper flakes or using a hotter sausage as well.  I would love extra heat, but my family isn't a fan...

NOTE:  If you are not a fan of canned beans or tomatoes, you can use raw.  Just be sure to soak your bean overnight before cooking, and you will have to adjust the cooking time because raw beans take MUCH longer to cook.  And I would wait to add fresh tomatoes until just before the soup is done because otherwise they will pretty much cook away. 

Do you have a favorite soup?  Let us know what it is!!