Thursdays are for cooking….

15-bean mix pack

I like soup. I like making it, and all those trimmings that go with it, like cornbread or a good crusty fresh loaf from a bakery. It’s the easiest dish to fix from scratch, and with slow cookers galore, all sizes and types, it’s something you can put together quickly, go do whatever you have to do, and come back home to the scent of something wonderful waiting for you. (Yes, that could be your Signif-Other, but that’s a different story.)

This particular soup recipe comes from Cooking Classy: https://www.cookingclassy.com/kale-white-bean-sausage-soup/ ,

It is real easy to put together, so here you go.  This cook is using kielbasa sausage instead of sweet Italian sausage, which several other recipes use, and cannellini beans instead of navy beans or great northerns, but I think it’s the cook’s choice. This dish originated in many places including Tuscany and Portugal. The reason I looked for it is that while I was in line at the checkout stand yesterday, a lady behind me had a huge bag of kale, so I asked her what she was going to do with it. She said she’d remove the ribs, cook some chopped bacon to go with it, and make a sort of stew of it. And my mouth watered because it was cold and raining outside, has been all week and I want comfort food!

So here you are: a classic dish as old as time itself. Kale Soup with sausage and a bunch of other stuff in it.

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 12 oz beef Polska Kiebasa Sausage , sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices
• 1 1/2 cups chopped carrots (about 3)
• 1 1/3 cups chopped yellow onion (1 medium)
• 1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks)
• 4 cloves garlic , minced
• 3 (14.5 oz cans) low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 Tbsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp dried rosemary , crushed
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste
• 6 oz kale , thick ribs removed, chopped (about 1 1/2 bunches. 5 oz if using pre-cut)
• 2 (14.5 oz) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• Shredded parmesan cheese, for serving with the soup

• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until slightly browned, tossing occasionally, about 5 minutes. Remove sausage, while leaving oil in pan, and drain sausage on a plate lined with paper towels and set aside.
• Return pot with oil to medium heat, add carrots, onion, and celery and saute 3 minutes (while scraping bottom of pan to get the browned bits), add garlic and saute 1 minute longer. Stir in chicken broth, water, parsley, rosemary, oregano and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and allow to gently boil 10 minutes. Add kale and allow to boil 10 minutes longer until kale and veggies are tender. Stir in cooked sausage and cannellini beans (you can add more broth at this point to thin if desired). Serve warm, top each serving with parmesan cheese.
• Recipe source: inspired by Gourmet

Fix it, let it simmer to develop the flavors, and enjoy it!  Slainte!!

Category: Economy