Bacon Soup and Variations

1 strip bacon
2 leeks, white and green parts, chopped
1 bunch turnip greens
1 bunch radish greens
3/4 quart chicken broth
1 can black beans, rinsed
2 precooked apple-chicken-gouda sausages
1/4 cup cream
salt, pepper, paprika, sage, marjoram to taste

Fry the bacon until most of the fat has rendered. Remove, chop, and return to pan. Add leeks and cook until soft and translucent. Add greens, chicken broth, and black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until greens have almost softened. Chop sausages and add them to soup. Continue simmering until greens are softened. Add cream and seasonings to taste. Serve with a delicious side salad.

This soup likes a strip of bacon to start, but if unavailable, a tablespoon of butter will do. Leeks can be replaced with anything in the allium family (if garlic, do not brown). Greens can be replaced with any leaves: kale, beet greens, collards, spinach, cabbage. The broth can be any variety including plain water. Beans can be anything -- garbanzos, navy, kidney, white. The sausages can be replaced with any kind of flavorful precooked meat, or omitted entirely. The cream is optional. The spices can be switched around, within reason.