About recipe

To help us relieve the chill of winter, our very own Rachel Nelson, MS, RDN, LDN offers us a family recipe for Tuscan Kale, White Bean, and Sausage soup! Hearty, warming, and delicious, this soup is also a healthy option for people who are mindful of cardiovascular health. We have substituted pork or red-meat sausage with chicken Italian sausage because it is lower in saturated fat. Protein in plentiful in this recipe, between the sausage and the white beans. We recommend seasoning to taste; the sausage ensures that salt and spice are in good supply.

This recipe was adapted from a Shared Appetite.

Ingredients (serves 8)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 12 ounces sweet Italian chicken sausage, cut into pieces
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 1 potato, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 15-ounce cans of white beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups kale, stripped and chopped
• 64 ounces low-sodium broth
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add and brown the sausage, stirring occasionally — approximately 10 minutes.
2. Add onion, carrots, potato, and bay leaves. Season with kosher salt and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, stirring occasionally, for approximately 10 minutes.
3. Add garlic and beans. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add kale and cook until it becomes slightly wilted. Add chicken stock, season with salt and pepper, and cover with lid.
4. Bring the soup to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer for about 45 minutes, though a bit longer is completely fine. The soup will thicken as the potatoes begin to release their starch into the soup.
5. The soup tastes best the second day. If time allows, cool the soup completely and refrigerate it for the following day. Reheat before serving.
6. Optional: Serve with whole-grain bread and parmesan cheese.