Time for another new recipe Tuesday! This week it’s this spicy and cozy Italian Sausage, White Bean, and Kale Soup. I thought soup season might be coming to an end when it hit the upper 60s in DC last week, but then it dropped back down into snow making weather over the weekend. So although it may be hanging on by a thread, it’s still very much soup season and I plan to make the most of it!
Most of the soups I love are pasta based, but I really wanted to create one that’s still super hearty but a little less heavy. That’s where the beans and kale come in – they’re both sturdy enough to hold up in soup and add a ton of flavor. I also used two different meats – Italian sausage and ground chicken – to really bump up that protein content. Now, if you’re using this as a side soup or maybe just don’t want quite as much meat in your soup, skip the ground chicken and opt for just the sausage.
Now some of you will probably be wondering if you really need to use the half and half or if you can just opt for something lighter like a light coconut milk. I really don’t recommend it – the fat in the half and half helps balance out the spiciness and gives the broth a bit more oomph. Cannellini beans bring a slight smoky flavor to the party, which I love. What’s also great about this soup is that it’s freezer friendly without needing any special treatment to keep any pasta from getting mushy!
Here are some items I used to make this recipe a success. Note: these are Amazon Affiliate links.
Recipe
Italian Sausage, White Bean, and Kale Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb 98% lean ground chicken
- 1 lb Wegmans Italian Classics Mild Poultry Italian Sausage, casings removed
- 10 cups chopped kale, (140 grams)
- 8 cups Swanson Chicken Cooking Stock, Unsalted, (64 fl oz)
- 2 14.5 oz cans cannellini beans, drained
- 1 1/2 cups half and half, (12 fl oz)
- 1 large onion, chopped, (315 grams)
- 2 medium carrots, chopped, (100 grams)
- 2 ribs celery, chopped, (70 grams)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced, (16 grams)
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil, (7 grams)
- 1 stalk fresh rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp salt, (or to taste)
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- In a large pot like this, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Once oil is shimmering, add ground chicken and sausage. Cook, breaking apart with a spatula for 5-7 minutes or until cooked through. Drain any excess fat from the pot, or blot it up with a paper towel.
- Add carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and half the salt. Continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions and garlic are tender.
- Add chicken stock, cannellini beans, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and remaining salt. Stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, then add rosemary stalk and bay leaves.
- Lower heat to a simmer, then cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes. The carrots should be fork tender at this point. If they're not, simmer for a bit longer.
- Remove pot from heat and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. During this time, remove the rosemary stalk and bay leaves from the broth. Add half and half and kale to the pot, then stir to combine.
- Serve with fresh grated parmesan cheese, lemon zest, and bread, if desired (not included in nutrition info).
Tips & Tricks
Nutrition Information
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