Sausage, Kale, White Bean Soup
It’s soup season! This Sausage, Kale and White Bean soup is a must-make! If you’re looking for a warm, nourishing, zesty and flavorful soup - this is it. Keep reading to learn how to make this cozy, creamy goodness.
Nutrient-Packed
This soup not only tastes amazing, it also packs the nutrients. Protein is provided by both the Italian chicken sausage and the white beans. Protein is important for energy, muscle growth, repair and maintenance as well as satiety (the feeling of fullness). The white beans provide fiber, which plays a role in digestion, satiety and blood sugar control. A lot of soups skimp on the protein, but not this one! I use Italian chicken sausage over pork sausage. I chose chicken sausage due to it being leaner with less fat, less sodium and MORE protein. A win-win. Tip: if you want to add even more protein to this soup, try using chicken bone broth in place of the chicken broth.
Load up the veggies! I always try to add as many veggies as possible to my soups - carrots, celery and onion are always a must for nutrients and the flavor factor (who doesn’t love a good aromatic mirepoix!). This soup takes it up a notch with the nutrient-dense leafy green kale. Another great way to up the veggie factor is to enjoy a side salad with your soup.
Creamy Broth Hack
Soup hack! Add creamy texture, protein and fiber to your soup by blending beans with broth. Make by blending 1 cup white beans with 2 cups of chicken broth. Then add this blended bean/broth base to the soup with regular chicken broth to make for a creamy texture soup. This is an easy hack to making a creamy soup - added bonus, it provides more nutrition in the form of nutrient-dense beans.
Freezer-Friendly
Soup is freezer-friendly! Whether you’re a busy mama trying to meal prep dinners for the family, a pregnant mama planning ahead for the newborn days with balanced ready-to-eat meals, or just someone who wants a soup in the freezer for those days when life gets crazy - frozen soup is a great option.
Tips: Allow your soup to cool before freezing it. You can use a freezer bag or a food storage container. Whichever method you use, be sure to leave a 1/2 inch space at the top because liquid expands as it freezes. Be sure to label your soup so you know when it was prepared. Enjoy your frozen soup within 2-3 months for best flavor and texture. To thaw your frozen soup, place in fridge overnight, reheat and enjoy the next day!
Sausage, Kale and White Bean Soup
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
1 package Italian chicken sausage, cooked and sliced
1 bunch kale, destemmed, finely chopped
6 cups chicken broth (1.5 quart)
2 cans white beans (cannellini beans), drained and rinsed
1 tbsp Minced garlic
1 tsp Salt
½ tsp Pepper
½ tsp Roasted Red Pepper Flakes
Parmesan cheese, shaved
Instructions
Prep ingredients. Wash produce. Chop celery, onion, and carrot. Set aside.
In a large pot, heat olive oil on medium heat. Cook chicken sausage until brown, about 7-10 minutes.
In a blender cup, combine 1 cup white beans and 2 cups chicken broth. Blend until smooth, set aside.
Remove cooked sausage from the pot. Set aside, let cool before slicing into coins.
Saute onions, celery, carrot and minced garlic in the same pot used to cook the sausage.
Add coined sausage back into the pot, followed by the remaining white beans and chopped kale.
Pour remaining 4 cups of chicken broth and blended broth/bean mixture into the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Add a dash of roasted red pepper flakes.
Let simmer on low for 25-30 minutes.
Sprinkle with shaved parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Note: soup is freezer-friendly!
Dietary: Gluten-Free, you can make this recipe Dairy-Free by omitting the parmesan cheese.
