Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®

green bean soup

(1 rating)
Recipe by
Shelia Baker
Springtown, MO

This soup is a Mennonite tradition, and their version adds vinegar and sour cream before serving.

(1 rating)
yield serving(s)
prep time 25 Min
cook time 35 Min
method Stove Top

Ingredients For green bean soup

  • 1 pkg
    polish or smoked sausage 16 oz.
  • 4 can
    green beans, your favorite style
  • 2 lg
    potatoes, peeled & cubed
  • 1 sm
    onion, diced
  • 4-6 c
    chicken broth, depending on how
  • 1 Tbsp
    chicken flavored bullion powder (knorr brand rocks!)
  • 1 tsp
    fresh cracked black pepper
  • 1/4 c
    instant mashed potato flakes

How To Make green bean soup

  • 1
    Slice sausage into medallions and roast in oven on wire rack over sheet pan, to render out fat. Cook until slices are crispy, then remove from oven & cool.
  • 2
    Roast potatoes alongside sausages until fork-tender and begin to brown.
  • 3
    In a large stockpot, combine green beans, potatoes, onion, sausage, and chicken broth. Stir to combine. Sprinkle in bullion & pepper, & stir well. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer. Cook for 20 minutes to combine flavors.
  • 4
    Stir in potato flakes until dissolved, and cook 5 minutes more.
  • 5
    Check for seasoning, and add salt if required. Serve with hot bread.
  • 6
    Variations: You can substitute ham for the sausage: simply simmer a ham bone in with the beans and onions until the bone releases from the meat (2 hours or so). If you include the potatoes at this step, don’t roast them first. Reduce chicken stock and bullion if you use a ham bone, because you will need to add water periodically while the ham cooks down, leaving you with a strong broth. You will need to skim a few times, as well. If you don’t use a ham bone, and substitute sliced ham, make certain it’s a whole-ham product (such as Ozark Pride brand), or you won’t get the flavor the beans need. If you choose the sausage, but don’t have a wire rack/sheet pan for roasting, place your medallions on paper towels or a paper plate, cover with paper towels, and microwave 4-5 minutes, or until slices are almost burned. You can also just use the sausage straight from the package, but I find the fat that builds up in the soup to be unappetizing, so I prefer to render it out first. However you choose to make it, I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT