This is a great soup for a cold winter day.  I have to admit, I’m not a big fan of kale, especially raw, but it makes a great addition to soup and combined with sausage, well, anything combined with sausage is better!!

I found a version of this on the food blog “This is Emu” and decided to try it. I really didn’t modify it much, except I cut down on the Kale. The original recipe called for an entire bunch of kale cut up, but I added only about 2-3 cups. You can add more if you like it that way. I also used sweet sausage but hot or mild sausage would work just as well. In soup making, there are no rules!!

Sausage and Kale Soup Ingredients:
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 TBsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
5-6 cloves of garlic
1 lb hot, mild or sweet sausage (depends on your preference)
2 15.5 oz cans Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (white kidney or northern beans can be substituted – they are the same thing!)
1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
3 cups kale, stems removed and chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Sausage and Kale Soup Method:
Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook until brown breaking it up with a wooden spoon.

Add the diced onion and garlic and cook for 5-7 minutes or until the onion becomes opaque.

Add the beans, broth and tomatoes and bring back to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stir occasionally.

Add the Kale and stir to combine and cook an additional 5 minutes.

Salt and Pepper to taste and serve!

Ciao! Mike.