Last updated on May 12th, 2021 at 08:25 pm
This sausage, kale and white bean soup is an easy recipe to help reset after the holidays.
Getting my eating routine back into shape after the holidays is no easy task. I like this sausage, kale and white bean soup to help me reset. It’s hardy but has all the healthy elements I need to nourish my body after the beating it took from all the sugar, fat and salt that make the holidays so delicious.
Sausage
I originally made this soup to use up leftover Italian sausage from a pizza. For this, I had some Johnsonville Mild Italian sausage. They come fully formed but not fully cooked so you have to remove the casings before you fry them up. When you do, make sure to put the sausage in a hot skillet over medium-high heat and break up the sausage with a wooden spoon as it cooks. When it’s done, it should be crumbly.
Kale
This soup is also good for using up the last of the kale. For this, I used fresh Tuscan kale. It’s easy to remove the stems and tear, but regular kale works just fine. Just remember to remove the stems if you’re using bagged kale.
White Beans
I use dried beans for this soup because they’re cheaper and take up less space than cans. But feel free to use canned beans. As far as the type of bean goes, white beans vary in size and texture. The cannellini bean is pretty good if that’s what you have on hand, but navy beans and Great Northern beans work best in this sausage, kale and white bean soup recipe.
Seasoning
For this, I used ¼ cup of grated Parmesan, but a Parmesan rind would work better. Ribollita is a classic Italian kale and sausage soup that uses the rind as seasoning. All you do is drop it in the soup and let it simmer for a while. The flavor of the cheese oozes into the sausage, kale and white bean soup to make it super-rich.
I also discovered that Italian Bomba Hot Pepper Sauce from Trader Joe’s goes really well in this soup. It’s an optional ingredient since it’s a TJ’s product, but I highly recommend it in this white bean soup—it’s amazing.
I initially bought the bomba sauce because they were out of harissa, but it was a happy accident. It’s made with fermented crushed Calabrian chili peppers and comes in a small jar—that means a little bit goes a long way. It also gives the soup a nice orange tint, but there are many more ways to put the bomba sauce to work. If you don’t have that, crushed red pepper flakes are a must. If you don’t have that, crushed red pepper flakes are a must or you can use spicy sausage or smoked sausage for a kick.
Sausage, Kale and White Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried Navy beans cooked (or one 15 oz can)
- 1 onion small, diced
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 carrot small diced
- 2 Italian sausage, casing removed
- 6 leaves Tuscan kale, stems removed
- 1 TB olive oil
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 TB bomb sauce optional
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Over medium-high heat, add sausage to Dutch oven or large pot. Cook, stirring to break up the sausage, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Use a splash of chicken broth to deglaze the hot pot. Transfer the bits to the bowl with the sausage.
- In the same pot, over medium-high heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil. When the oil shimmers, add the onion. Cook, stirring for about two minutes. Add garlic and carrots and continue cooking until the onion is soft and translucent.
- Add beans, broth and sausage and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and add Parmesan cheese (or Parmesan rind). Let simmer for ten minutes.
- Stir in kale. Let simmer for another 5 minutes and serve.
