White Bean Soup with Kale and Turkey Italian Sausage

by Pam on October 4, 2012

We are finally having cooler weather here in Portland and since it was in the 60′s and very windy, I decided to make a pot of soup. After looking through my cupboards and refrigerator I found homemade chicken broth^[1], white beans, kale, a carrot, garlic, and a couple of Italian sausages.  I loved the simplicity of this soup.  No fancy herbs.  No heavy cream.  Just basic ingredients that when combined made an outstanding soup.  We all loved it and enjoyed hearty bowls of soup for dinner.  I love watching my kids eat the kale without any qualms… it does my heart good!  I served this soup with my House Salad^[2] tossed with Fran’s Vinaigrette^[3] and some freshly baked bread for a delicious and healthy meal.

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat.  Coat with cooking spray then add the turkey Italian sausages.  Cook on all sides, until cooked through, about 7-8 minutes in total.  Slice the sausages down the center lengthwise then place back into the Dutch oven to cook on each side for another 2-3 minutes.  Remove from the Dutch oven and let cool then dice into small bite sized pieces.

Add the olive oil to the pot then toss in the onion and carrot.  Cook, stirring often, for 5-6 minutes or until tender.  Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.  Add the chicken stock, white beans, and chopped sausage.  Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.  Cover with the lid and let the soup simmer for 45 minutes.  Use an immersion blender to blend a little bit of the soup to make it thicker.  Add the kale and stir until well combined and let it cook for 1-2 minutes.  Ladle into bowls and served topped with Parmesan cheese if desired.  Enjoy.

Print^[4]

White Bean Soup with Kale and Turkey Italian Sausage

Yield: 6-8

Prep Time: 10 min.

Cook Time: 60 min.

Total Time: 70 min.

Ingredients:

2 links of turkey Italian sausage, cooked, then diced
2 tsp of olive oil
1/2 sweet yellow onion, finely diced
1 large carrot, finely diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
5 cups of homemade chicken broth (see link above)
3 cans of white beans, drained & rinsed
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
2 cups of kale, chopped
Parmesan cheese, if desired

Directions:

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Coat with cooking spray then add the turkey Italian sausages. Cook on all sides, until cooked through, about 7-8 minutes in total. Slice the sausages down the center lengthwise then place back into the Dutch oven to cook on each side for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from the Dutch oven and let cool then dice into small bite sized pieces.

Add the olive oil to the pot then toss in the onion and carrot. Cook, stirring often, for 5-6 minutes or until tender. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock, white beans, and chopped sausage. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Cover with the lid and let the soup simmer for 45 minutes. Use an immersion blender to blend a little bit of the soup to make it thicker. Add the kale and stir until well combined and let it cook for 1-2 minutes. Ladle into bowls and served topped with Parmesan cheese if desired. Enjoy.

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

References

1. ^{^} homemade chicken broth (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)
2. ^{^} House Salad (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)
3. ^{^} Fran’s Vinaigrette (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)
4. ^{^} Print Recipe (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)