Cannellini, Chickpea And Sausage Pottage

There is no need to use dried beans, although dried beans will give you a more rustic flavor. If using dried beans, place them in a large bowl adding two cups of water per each cup of beans, along with a tablespoon of salt. Let them soak overnight. Transfer the beans to a large pot and simmer for about an hour and a half until the beans are tender.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Heat a ceramic Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add about a teaspoon of olive oil and the sausage, breaking it up with a spoon as it browns.
Once browned, add the onion and carrots and saute for 5 minutes or until both the carrots and onions look like they are beginning to soften. Add the garlic, and saute for 2 minutes.
Stir in chicken broth, scraping the pan to loosen browned, as well as the tomato paste, one tablespoon of thyme, honey, a pinch of ground pepper, northern beans, chickpeas, and bay leaf. Add a hefty pinch kosher salt and crushed red pepper, if desired. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Sprinkle shredded Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs (if desired) evenly over the pottage and transfer dish to oven (uncovered) for 20 minutes or until the top becomes brown and bubbly.
Remove from oven and serve in individual soup tureens, sprinkling any remaining thyme and parmesan cheese over the top. Serve with whole wheat toast points.