Snow Fairies with Chicken, Kielbasa and Bean Soup

The Snow Fairy

by Claude McKay

Jamaican-American Novelist and Poet

1889-1948

Throughout the afternoon I watched them there,

Snow-fairies falling, falling from the sky,

Whirling fantastic in the misty air,

Contending fierce for space supremacy.

And they flew down a mightier force at night,

As though in heaven there was revolt and riot,

And they, frail things had taken panic flight

Down to the calm earth seeking peace and quiet.

I went to bed and rose at early dawn

To see them huddled together in a heap,

Each merged into the other upon the lawn,

Worn out by the sharp struggle, fast asleep.

The sun shone brightly on them half the day,

By night they stealthily had stol’n away.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4b-wPgc5kY

follow this link to the " Dance of the Snow Fairies" from The Nutcracker Suite music by 
Tchaikovsky

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Chicken, Kielbasa and White Bean Soup

Cook's notes: I was chilled watching the snow fairies do their dance so I craved some piping hot soup. Kielbasa adds a kick to the soup's flavor.  The recipe did not call for spinach but I thought it added color contrast plus pumped up the nutrients of the soup.

Buying a rotisserie chicken saves time and has enough meat to use for 2 different dishes.

This recipe would work well using a crockpot on low for 5 hours. 

recipe adapted from Cuisine at home e Recipes

serves 5-6

Ingredients:

• 7 oz. kielbasa, bias sliced
• 2 TB. olive oil
• 1 cup red onion diced
• 1 cup each diced carrots and celery
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 1 TB tomato paste
• 7  cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 can (14.5) oz. diced tomatoes garlic, basil and oregano
• 3 cups of beans, drained (I used a combination of navy and pinto)
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1 tsp. thyme
• 2 cups diced cooked chicken 
• 2 cups fresh torn spinach leaves with stems removed

Directions:

• Brown sausage in 1 TB. olive oil, drain on a paper towel and set aside
• Saute onions,carrots, celery and garlic in 1 TB. olive oil about 5 minutes, add in tomato paste and stir till smooth
• Add in canned tomatoes, chicken broth, beans, bay leaf, thyme, cooked chicken and sausage 
• Simmer on low one hour
• The last 15 minutes of cooking time add in torn spinach leaves
• Remove bay leaf and serve soup with cornbread or a multi- grain bread 

As a side note follow my boards on Pinterest (see right hand picture next to blog archives) I have created two new boards: salads and smoothies