This is a soup loosely based on Everyday Food’s White-Bean Soup with Grilled Sausages. I switched out the escarole for kale because I wanted a heartier green in there (and because I like kale better). I’m also using canned beans because I don’t have a pressure cooker and didn’t want to wait around waiting for dried beans to become less dried.
These days I’m really enjoying thickening soups with pureed beans instead of with a roux or extra dairy—it makes our vegan housemate happy, and I’ll take any excuse to whip out my immersion blender. All in all, this is a restorative, filling soup that comes together quickly and is kind of nutritious (focus on the whole head of kale in there).
White Bean Soup with Kale and Sausage
(Serves 6)
Ingredients:
3 T. olive oil, divided
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 c. chicken or vegetable broth
1 bunch of kale, de-stemmed and sliced into ribbons
1 15-oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
4 lemon and herb chicken sausages
salt and pepper to taste
parmesan cheese (for garnish)
Directions:
1. Heat 2 T. of the oil in a soup pot. Add in the onion and garlic and some salt and pepper to taste. Saute until golden, about 8 minutes. Pour in the chicken or vegetable broth, scrape up the toasted onion parts on the bottom of the pot, and bring to a boil. Add in kale and a pinch more salt, and stir until kale wilts into the soup. Bring back to a boil and let simmer for 20 minutes.
2. While the soup is simmering, add remaining oil to a large, nonstick saute pan and heat until shimmery. Add the sausage, and brown on all sides—about 15 minutes. When cooked through, remove sausages from pan and let them rest for 5 minutes. Slice on the bias and reserve for later.
3. Puree half of the cannellini beans in a blender or with an immersion blender. Reserve the other half of the beans for adding into the soup later.
4. When the kale is tender, whisk the pureed cannellini beans into the soup. Then add in the whole beans and the sliced sausages. Serve garnished with parmesan cheese.