Cannellini Bean, Hot Pork Sausage & Shrimp Soup

Cannellini beans
Hot pork sausage (not too much, high fat)
Shrimp
Onion (diced)
Jalapeno (diced – not too much)
Chicken Broth
Bacon grease (use sparingly, or not at all – high fat)
Cumin powder
Fenugreek
Diced Green Peppers
S&P

I think I either added ground cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes also. *This dish needs a “little” heat, but don’t add too much jalapeno or other hot peppers.

I was in the mood for something like this so I stopped by IGA and bought a package of Jamestown Hot Pork Sausage. I knew I probably would use Cannellini beans, and then I also thought to add some shrimp (peeled, deveined, heads & tails off). This soup came together very well. I would hope to repeat this finished product because it was just very good soup. Relatively simple to make. Very simple to enjoy eating with some tortilla or wonton chips.

Estimated: Serves 2–3 people (~448 kcal per serving)

Ingredients

1 tbsp bacon grease
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 jalapeño, diced
1/2 cup diced green peppers
1/4 lb hot pork sausage (high fat content)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp fenugreek
2 cups chicken broth
1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 to 1/3 lb shrimp (about 6–8 medium-sized), peeled and deveined
Salt & pepper to taste

Estimated Yield

About 4–5 cups of soup total
Serves 2 hearty bowls or 3 moderate bowls

Serving Suggestions:

Toasted Cornbread Wedges

Slightly sweet cornbread helps balance the heat. Toast slices in a skillet with a bit of bacon grease or butter for a crispy edge.

Grilled or Pan-Seared Polenta Rounds

Crisp outside, creamy inside—mild flavor that soaks up the broth well.

Simple Cucumber Salad

Thin-sliced cucumbers tossed with a splash of vinegar, olive oil, salt, and a pinch of sugar. Super refreshing next to the heat of the soup.

[04/23/25]: Making it again, and it’s good again. One of those things that comes together really well, and you just know it’s a keeper from the get go. It reminds me of how I have never made corn chowder that was this good, and I like a flavorful corn chowder. I could put this soup with my long time favorites of “Curried Apple” and “Tarragon Pea” soup. I haven’t made either of those in a long time, but I have made them many times in the past and know I really do like their flavors. Both of those soups are good either hot or cold. But this one is a warm soup, with earthy flavors. *Glad I looked at the images. I forgot to list “diced jalapenos” in this and they are that little extra kick. [end]

[Note]: Damn, I didn’t realize how high the calorie count, per serving was for this. It is delicious, but I can’t afford to eat this unless I use a lot less pork sausage, and no bacon grease. [end Note]

[ADDENDUM]: Here is a variation of the above soup and almost as good.

Hot Pork Sausage (probably not even a quarter of the whole package)
Olive Oil
Shrimp
Onion (chopped fine)
Black & Pinto Beans
Okra
Diced Orange Sweet Bell Pepper
Diced Green Chilis
Cumin Ground
Fenugreek Powder
Chicken Broth
S&P

NOTE: I added one small Campari tomato, sliced, to a version and it did not take away from the overall flavor of this soup. I did add some diced okra, sweet bell pepper & cannellini beans. [end NOTE]

I used far less pork sausage than the recipe above because of it’s high fat content. I used no bacon grease, and very little olive oil. I used no Cannellini beans, and combined the Black & Pinto beans because I had used them in another dish, a multi-bean salad (with a vinegar base). I came upon the raw okra, and have in the past found that adding these to various soups provide an earthy and unique flavor.

I have crumbled up blue corn tortilla chips into the soup, or added the wonton chips. Either provide a dry crunch to the soup.

I’m going through my “Fenugreek” phase, and don’t find the powder bitter although that is the recurring mention by various other cooks. Years ago I went through a “ginger” phase, and then added “marjoram” to most dishes. I still love ginger candy, and even grate fresh ginger into a stir fry.

I like the flavors of Salsa Ranchera and Patak’s Curry Paste added to the same chicken dish. One takes the flavors in a Hispanic direction and the other in an India Indian direction. You can dice the chicken, onion, carrots and bell pepper exactly the same for each dish, and just choose which flavor you want to go in. Oh, and I may squeeze some lime juice in either. I like Spicy Chili Crisp on many things: steamed cabbage or cauliflower, mashed cucumber, or in a stir fry with a little sweetness. I also may add Toasted Sesame Oil to any of the above. And I have a minor “Diced Green Chilis” hunger that works in various soups.

[end]

Another thought came to me, that I could use Bay Scallops or perhaps Cod Fish instead of shrimp. I’ve enjoyed the fibrous nature of the Cod fish in my seafood chowder. I also need to see if I can get a better deal on frozen, peeled, heads & tails off, shrimp. I’ve bought them at Publix for several years, but I can never count on the local Publix to have them when I go looking. I checked yesterday and they had all the other types but none with all the above options. I even went to Cary or Mooresville once and found them there with no problem. It’s like Harris Teeter consistently not having the Greek Gods Plain Yogurt. *HT seems to have a better price for the shrimp, but their package is 12 oz. instead of 16 oz. **I bought a 12 oz. bag of the HT brand frozen shrimp, and will try it in the above recipe shortly. ***I didn’t like the flavor with the Bay Scallops (Faroe Island).

[06/02/25]: Am almost through making this soup again, and it is consistently a very good soup. I bought a bag of peeled, heads & tails off shrimp at HT and have been just as happy with them as with the Publix brand. I can make enough soup for two generous portions, and I use about a third of the Jamestown Hot Sausage. I’ve frozen two sandwich bags of the sausage for making this soup at other times. I made something similar using a hot Italian sausage, but it’s not as good as the ground sausage. And yes, the heat makes this soup delicious. [end]