Description
Italian chicken sausage, white bean and kale soup is a meal in a bowl that is as comforting as a big bowl of pasta. Healthy, packed full of veggies, easy to make and freezes well. One of my favorite go-to soups that my family loves!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup white onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
- 2 cups zucchini
- 2 cups chopped roma tomatoes
- 2 cups chopped and peeled potatoes
- 2, 15.5 oz cans of white beans (or cannellini beans)
- 1 15.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
- 1 tbsp of tomato paste
- 2 cups of sliced kale (removed from the stalks)
- 1 tbsp of herbes de Provence (or Italian seasoning if you can't find herbes de Provence)
- 1 chicken Bouillon cube
- 12 Cups of water (or if you are using chicken stock - omit the bouillon cube)
- 1 1/2 cups of sliced mushrooms (I like to use cremini in this recipe)
- Shaved parmesan to garnish
- 1 cup fresh chopped basil to garnish
Instructions
First prepare your "Mise en place" - a french culinary term that means set up.
Peel and chop all of your vegetables and slice the sausage.
Only once you have everything chopped and ready to add to the soup do you turn the heat on under your stock pot. Chef's tip that makes cooking so much less stressful!
Heat your stock pot over medium high heat. You will need at least an 8QT stockpot for this soup - you will have enough soup to freeze.
First, heat your olive oil with the onions and garlic.
Then, add in the carrots and the sliced chicken sausage. Allow to cook for a couple minutes, stirring frequently and making sure the onions do not stick.
Now, add in the zucchini, tomatoes, white beans and potatoes. Top with the can of diced tomatoes, herbes de Provence, tomato paste and kale.
Pour in 12 cups of water or chicken stock. If you are using water, only add the bouillon cube once the water has started to simmer. Stir well.
Allow the soup to simmer over medium to medium-low for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so, making sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot.
Add in the mushrooms and allow to simmer another 10 minutes. I add in the mushrooms at the end because I like them a little crunchy.
Test that the potatoes are fully cooked - they should break apart easily with your spoon.
Turn off the heat. Voilà your soup is done.
Serve directly into soup bowls. Top with freshly chopped basil and shaved parmesan. Délicieux!
Bon Appétit!
Notes
How to Serve Italian sausage, white bean and kale soup
This soup is great on its own. It is packed with flavor and is incredibly satisfying. I love to vary textures and tastes in soup so I would suggest serving this recipe with shaved parmesan on top as well as a generous helping of fresh basil. You may also choose to top with fresh cracked pepper and chili flakes. Garnish this soup like you would a big bowl of pasta. It is so comforting.
How to freeze portions of the soup
Freezing in portions is key. Instead of freezing in a big container, portion out into smaller containers which will allow you to reheat a few portions at a time.
Food safe rules : let the soup cool on the counter in your soup pot before portioning out into freezer containers. Wait until the soup has reached room temperature before putting in the freezer.
Vegetarian Option:
Remove the sausage for a delicious vegetarian dish!
The chicken sausage can also be replaced with pork sausage, ground turkey meat, or ground beef - depending what you have on hand.