Recipe: Jota, Italian Bean and Sauerkraut Soup

Courtesy Cheryl Forberg

If you have the luxury of time, the soup is even better the second day, after the flavors have married. Serve with crusty bread for dipping. For a heartier version, add chopped lean Canadian bacon or cooked, crumbled turkey Italian sausage.

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 1/2 cups finely chopped yellow onions

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp. polenta (stone-ground cornmeal)

1 tsp. yellow mustard seeds

2 cups sauerkraut, rinsed and drained

4 cups fat-free reduced sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

1 bay leaf

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 1/2 cups cooked cannellini beans or 1 (15-ounce) can, rinsed and drained

Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish:

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh Italian parsley, without stems

Heat oil in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent and just beginning to brown, 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute; do not brown. Stir in cornmeal and mustard seeds until combined.

Stir in sauerkraut and simmer for 2 minutes. Carefully add broth, bay leaf, and thyme; bring to a boil. Stir in beans and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove bay leaf before serving. Garnish with parsley. Yield: About seven cups or six servings.

Recipes reprinted with permission from “Positively Ageless:  A 28-Day Plan for a Younger, Slimmer, Sexier You” (Rodale) and “Stop the Clock! Cooking: Defy Aging — Eat the Foods You Love” (Penguin/Avery) by Cheryl Forberg RD.

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