Sausage, Kale and White Bean Soup
Chase away the winter chills with a bowl of hearty Sausage, Kale and White Bean Soup! Use the smoked sausage of your choice; turkey or chicken for a healthier alternative, or andouille for extra spice and heat.Makes 3 quarts of soup.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 12-ounce package smoked sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices (chicken, turkey, or Andouille)
- 3 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 3 carrots chopped
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 6 cups chicken stock reduced sodium
- *1 small bunch kale leaves stripped from stems and coarsely chopped (I added several handfuls from a bag of triple washed chopped kale)
- *2 medium Yukon gold potatoes peeled and chopped (I used baby Yukon golds, quartered, no need to peel)
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 sprigs thyme
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 7 - 9 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside.
- Add onion, celery and carrot to pot, cook stirring occasionally for 5 minutes or until they begin to soften.
- Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Add the chicken stock, sausage and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 15 - 20 minutes until potatoes are tender.
- Discard the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
Top your soup with some grated Parmesan cheese for additional flavor or toast some leftover cornbread to make cornbread croutons.