Sopa de Pedra

Heat a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add vegetable oil to the pot. Cut sausages into 1 inch pieces. Add sausages to hot oil and brown.

Meanwhile cut onions in a small dice about 1/4-inch by 1/4-inch. Slice celery lengthwise in 2 pieces then dice about 1/4-inch long. Peel carrots and repeat dicing to make pieces about equal in size to the celery. Slice fennel down the middle lengthwise, to form 2 even quarters. Then slice the quarters across to form slice about 1/4-inch thick.

When sausage is browned if not totally cooked through, remove from pan with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate. Add onions, celery, carrots and fennel to the oil left in the pot and reduce heat to medium. Saute vegetables for close to five minutes until all the vegetables have begun to soften.

Mince two garlic cloves, drain and rinse beans if using canned beans, and slice cabbage into pieces about 1/4-inch thick and 2 inches long, and roughly chop tomatoes. Add garlic, bay, paprika, and chili to the softened veggies and saute for another two minutes until garlic has begun to soften. Add beans, cabbage, tomatoes, browned sausage and chicken stock to the pot. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

Finally, while soup is simmering, mince remaining two garlic cloves and finely chop parsley. Mix parsley with garlic, olive oil, salt and some pepper.

When soup is done simmering, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. To serve ladle soup into bowl and top with a dollop of the parsley mixture.