White Bean and Kale Soup with Turkey Sausage

Kale is a vegetable that I have been wanting to try using for a while. I have seen a few kale dishes around and some of them combined kale with white beans. I thought that the kale would go nicely in an Italian style white bean soup. I knew that I wanted to include Italian style turkey sausage for some meat and flavour but for the rest of the ingredients I played it by ear. I wanted a bit of a rustic feel to the soup so I cut everything roughly leaving fairly large pieces. The white bean and kale soup with turkey sausage turned out well and it was really tasty. I think that I should have cut the kale into slightly smaller pieces but this way I got to experience more of the kale. The kale worked well in the soup. Even though it wilted it did not fall apart or turn mushy. I look forward to experimenting with kale again. I served the white bean and kale soup with some toasted cheesy garlic bread.

Ingredients:
1 pound Italian turkey sausage (casing removed)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
2 stalks celery (chopped)
2 carrots (chopped)
1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 15 ounce can white beans
1 bunch kale (chopped)
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 bay leaf
1/4 red pepper flakes (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
1 parmigiano reggiano rind (optional)
* chicken stock
1 handful parsley (chopped, optional)
* parmigiano reggiano (grated, optional)

Directions:
1. Brown the sausage in a large pan and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in the same pan.
3. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 7-10 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
5. Add the sausage, celery, carrots, tomatoes, white beans, kale, oregano, bay leaf, red pepper flakes, parmigiano reggiano rind.
6. Add enough chicken stock to cover.
7. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30-60 minutes.
8. Remove the bay leaf and parmigiano reggiano rind.
9. Serve garnished with chopped parsley and grated parmigiano reggiano.

Similar Recipes:
Ministrone Soup with Sausage and Squash
Turkey White Chili

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