So, what do you do with leftover brats after serving an Octoberfest meal to a large crowd? Well, the obvious answer is to make soup. (That’s really my favorite use for leftover cooked meat.) Why, because I love soup!

Anyway, with about a pound of leftover sliced brats, even after having eaten some of the leftovers the next evening, I threw the rest in the freezer. A few days later I decided to make some kind of bean soup. And there, safely tucked away in my freezer, were the wonderful slices of cooked bratwurst, just begging to be used. So, the rest, as they say, is history.

I started this soup the way I almost always start any bean soup. With a mirepoix – carrot, celery, and garlic. (Not a French mirepoix which is carrot, celery, onion, because for this recipe I didn’t need to use an onion, because the brats had been cooked in an onion and beer broth.) So, any more onion flavor might not have been appreciated. But don’t hesitate to use a bit of onion, with the following caution.  

Note: Sometimes I find the combination of onion and garlic too much for a light brothy soup. I use garlic to add a pungent flavor, while onion adds a sweet and slightly savory flavor. But adding both can sometimes result in an overpowering taste. And I have found that particularly to be the case with some soups. However, having just made that statement, I often use both onion and garlic. It just depends on what other ingredients are included in the mix. So, basically, use both of these potent ingredients with respect. They can be either your best friend or your worst enemy. But back to this recipe.

This is truly one of those recipes where you can put some of your favorite veggies to good use. I used zucchini and kale, but spinach, cabbage, broccoli, green beans, peas, etc. would also be delicious. Make this a “clean out your veggie bin” bean soup.

I have also found that adding some of the bratwurst at the beginning lends a nice flavor to the broth. But I reserve about half of the sausage to add to the mix towards the end of the cooking time. This results in some of the sausage basically lacking most of its original flavor. (The flavor is now in the broth.) While the sausage that was just added is still bursting with flavor.

Well, that’s it for today. We are just back from spending 5 days on the Long Beach Peninsula with our dear friends Jim and Margo. The weather was perfect, the food was great, and the company could not have been better.

May you too be blessed with sunny days, great food, and wonderful friends.   

And as always, peace and love to all.

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 carrot, diced

2 celery ribs, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (8-13 oz.) container chopped tomatoes (Italian preferably)

4 c. chicken stock

1 c. water

¼ c. chopped fresh parsley, divided

2 bay leaves

½ tsp. dried thyme

½ dried rosemary

½ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 lb. cooked brats, sliced, divided  

1 c. dry cannellini beans, rinsed

2 c. chopped fresh kale

1 sm. zucchini, diced

freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, for the table

Heat the oil in a large, covered pot. Add the carrot and celery and gently cook for about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes to the pot, stir well, and cook for about 3 minutes.

Add the chicken stock, water, half of the parsley, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper, half of the cooked brats, and the cannellini beans. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover, and simmer for about 2½ hours or until the beans are tender. Stir periodically.

Just before serving, stir in the remaining cooked brats, remaining parsley, kale, and zucchini. Let burble for about 10 minutes. Serve with warm dinner rolls and pass the Parm.