{recipes} white bean, kale, and sausage soup

Winter has finally come to Los Angeles. It was a 58 degrees today and rained harder than I've seen in a while. It was very unexpected for me, so I was unprepared when I left for school in the morning. After class I was left cold, wet, and in need of some warmth. 

I've been wanting to make White Bean, Kale, and Sausage Soup for a while, and tonight was the perfect opportunity. I adapted this recipe, and it was just what I needed. There was a little bit of spice, and the broth was flavorful. 

White Bean, Kale, and Sausage Soup


Ingredients:
1 lb of sausage (I used hot Italian from Trader Joe's, and took half out of the casing and left half whole)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
3 carrots, halved lengthwise and then chopped into one inch pieces
6 large garlic cloves
pinch of red pepper flakes
pinch of salt
1/4 cup of white wine
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
8 cups chicken broth (I love Trader Joe's free range organic)
1 lb kale , rinsed, stems removed, leaves torn into bite-sized pieces (8 c. firmly packed)
2 cans of white beans
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 4 or 5-quart heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, working to break into bite sized pieces, until lightly browned. Cook the whole sausages about 4 minutes on each side. With a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a plate, leaving any rendered fat in the pot.

2. Add the remaining olive oil to the pot, increase the heat to medium-high, and add the onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and beginning to soften, about 2 minutes.

3. Add the carrot, stirring frequently, until they begin to soften and brown, about 2 minutes more. 

4. Stir in the garlic, pepper flakes, salt & black pepper and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute more. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and scrape up any brown bits from the pan. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil over high heat.

5. Cut the whole cooled sausages into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces.

6. When the broth reaches a boil, reduce the heat to medium, add the sausage along with any collected juices.

7. Stir in the kale, adjust the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer, and simmer until the kale is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. (I cover the pot loosely during this step to prevent too much reduction in the broth.).

8. With about 10 minutes left, add the cans of beans (I do not drain them).

9. Stir in the lemon juice and zest just before serving.

10. Serve with a crusty bread, and enjoy!

Serves 6-8