Tuscan Tomato Soup with White Beans, Kale and Sausage

Posted on Dec 7, 2009 by PeggyPrint Recipe Only | Email Recipe | Leave a Comment
Filed under: All Recipes, Feed Your Children, Feed Your Wallet, Gluten Free, Hot soups & stews, Winter Pin It
Tuscan Tomato Soup with White Beans, Kale and Sausage

The cuisine of Tuscany was borne of frugality; likewise the cuisine of Peggy Lampman. After yesterday’s savory (yet pricey) lamb chop indulgence, I’ll balance the coffers with a dinner of soup–most of the ingredients found in my kitchen. This Tuscan Soup is a winter staple as it comes together very quickly, is healthy and delicious, keeps well refrigerated several days, and the ingredients can be mixed and matched according to what’s in your pantry and fridge.

As with many soups, the recipe ingredients are interchangeable so it’s the perfect vehicle for utilizing leftovers. Most white beans varieties would be fine substitutes for the cannellini; many greens would be at home in place of, or in addition to, the kale; substitute the Italian sausage for a lighter chicken sausage–or leave out the sausage altogether and increase the beans and vegetables. If you have some basil pesto available, a tablespoon or two stirred into the soup before serving would be delicious.

A loaf of crusty, freshly baked bread is all you need to complete this meal. La buona cucina!

Recipe: Tuscan Tomato Soup with White Beans, Kale and Sausage

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces sweet (uncooked) Italian sausage links
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 5 cups chicken stock
  • 1, 28 -ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 2 cans (15-19 oz) cannellini beans
  • 1 1/2 pounds fresh kale*
  • Freshly grated Parmesan, as desired
  • 3 tablespoons fresh chopped basil

Instructions

  1. In a large sauté pan combine sausage and ¼ cup water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, 15 minutes. Remove cover and cook until the sausage is nicely browned, about 5 additional minutes. When sausage is cool enough to handle, slice into ¼-inch-thick slices.
  2. Meanwhile, in a heavy-bottomed stockpot, heat the olive oil. Sauté onion, garlic and kale about 6 minutes, stirring. Stir in stock and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 15 minutes.
  3. Stir in cooked sausage and beans. Simmer soup until kale is tender, an additional 15 minutes. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Top each bowl with freshly grated Parmesan, basil and stir.

*Swiss chard or spinach would be great additions or substitutions for the kale. The Swiss chard, however, needs only a 15 minutes simmer and the spinach would be stirred in at the last minute

Active Time: 15 minutes

Simmer Time: apx. 30 minutes

Number of servings (yield): 6

Copyright © Peggy Lampman’s dinnerFeed.

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Filed under: All Recipes, Feed Your Children, Feed Your Wallet, Gluten Free, Hot soups & stews, Winter
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