White Bean, Sausage and Greens Soup

White beans and greens are an Italian traditional dish; super nutrition and taste come together again. Sausage adds protein and a great flavor kick.

1 cup Dried white beans (cannellini or Great Northern) Or 1 Can 15 oz Cannellini beans
1 onion, chopped small, or 1 leek chopped into rounds. Or some of each
2 cloves garlic or more to taste, chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil or butter
12 sage leaves, divided. 4 cooked with soup, 8 fried at end - optional, but tasty
4 -6 oz link sausage of your choice, Andouille, etc., cut into rounds
4 big handfuls greens like chard, spinach, young kale, collards, ribs removed and torn into smaller pieces
1 qt chicken stock, homemade or boxed
Parmesan cheese, grated, to taste
salt to taste at end
pepper to taste

If cooking dry beans, pressure or slow cook them in with the sage leaves in plenty of water 5:1 until soft. 35 minutes in pressure cooker. Two toFour hours on high for slow cooker.
In heavy soup pot heat the olive oil over medium flame. Add the onion and saute until soft. Add the garlic and saute another 5 minutes. Careful - It burns easily! Add the sausage and continue to sauté for8-10 minutes. Add the stock and beans, sage leaf to soup pot and simmer to blend the flavors. Add the greens at the last 5-10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
For the grand finale, heat a small skillet with a bit of oil til hot. Add the 8 remaining sage leaves to the pan and let sizzle til crispy but still green.
Serve soup with sage leaf garnish and parmesan if desired
Ways to improvise: Add other vegetables to the onion saute, like carrots and celery, to boost depth. Maybe some zucchini toward the end of cooking.
Substitute other meat like bacon or chicken or go meatless altogether. A great flavored vegetable stock will help keep the flavor up.