Winter makes me crave soup in a way it doesn’t during warmer seasons, (although nothing is better on a sweltering day than a cool bowl of Gazpacho or a beautiful fuchsia bowl of Cool and Creamy Beet Borscht.) No matter how grey and dreary it may be outside, I can put a pot of soup on the boil and as the fragrance fills the house my mood lifts and all is right with the world!
Today I’m sharing my recipe for Sausage, Kale & White Bean Soup that’s one of my soup staples for 2 reasons: it’s super quick and easy to make and it’s filling and deeply satisfying in the way only warm white beans, silky kale and spicy sausage can be! There are no weird ingredients or difficult techniques to learn plus, it’s loaded with tons of flavor. And did I mention how versatile it is? Check out Kate’s Tips below for lots of variations. Oh, and it’s Gluten Free!!
Kale & White Bean Soup with Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 lb dried white beans Navy Cannellini or Great Northern
- 2 onions coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 quarts filtered water or more chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary or ½ teaspoon dried
- 1 lb smoked sausage such as kielbasa sliced into quarter inch round pieces
- 8 carrots chopped
- 3 ribs celery chopped
- 1 lb kale stems and center ribs discarded and leaves coarsely chopped (I use the flat kale called Lacinto or Dinosaur kale)
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large pot cover beans with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let stand, uncovered, 1 hour. Drain beans in a colander and rinse. Alternatively, you could soak beans overnight in water.
- While the beans are soaking, melt butter in a large Dutch oven and cook onions in butter over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add soaked beans once they've been rinsed, broth, 1 quart water, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and rosemary and simmer, uncovered, until beans are just tender, about 45 minutes.
- Brown sausage while the soup is cooking. Use a heavy skillet and brown in 2 batches. Transfer sausage to paper towels to drain.
- Stir carrots and celery into soup and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the chopped kale, sausage, and remaining quart water and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until kale is tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Season soup with salt and pepper. Serve with the parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top.
Kate’s Tips
- Sausage, Kale & White Bean Soup improves over time so make it ahead today and serve it tomorrow. It easily doubles and freezes well.
- Consider using all chicken broth instead of water. Add a cup of white wine to add a little sass.
- You can use Italian sausage (hot Italian sausage would add a nice twist) or ham hocks, pancetta or any kind of sausage you like, even chicken or turkey sausage. Or, if you’re vegetarian, just leave the sausage out.
- You want this soup on the thick side not watery so, feel free to add less than the full 2 quarts broth.
- You can play around with the spices to your heart’s content! I love the rosemary but you can also try oregano, sage, thyme, even cumin or smoked paprika for a deep layer of spice.
- If I have it on hand I like to add a nice rind of a good parmesan cheese like Reggiano Parmigiano. It adds a creaminess to the soup that’s wonderful! I buy my Reggiano at Costco because 1–it’s great cheese and 2–I haven’t found it cheaper anywhere!
- A couple more add-ins if you have them would be chopped leeks (just add in with the onions) or shallots, or a couple chopped potatoes added in with the carrots and celery. Feel free to use Swiss Chard instead of kale.
- If you’re short on time, skip the bean-soaking step and use 2 cans of white beans.
- Have fun and be creative!
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