Italian White Bean Kale Sausage (Printable Version)

Hearty soup with spicy sausage, creamy white beans, and roasted garlic in a rich broth.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 1 lb spicy Italian sausage, casings removed

→ Vegetables

02 - 2 tbsp olive oil
03 - 1 large yellow onion, diced
04 - 2 medium carrots, diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 6 cloves garlic, peeled
07 - 1 bunch Tuscan kale (about 6 oz), stems removed, leaves chopped

→ Beans

08 - 2 cans (15 oz each) cannellini beans or Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

→ Liquids

09 - 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
10 - 1 cup water

→ Herbs & Seasonings

11 - 1 tsp dried thyme
12 - 1 tsp dried oregano
13 - 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
14 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Garnish

15 - Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
16 - Extra virgin olive oil
17 - Crusty bread for serving

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Place garlic cloves on foil, drizzle with olive oil, wrap, and roast for 20 minutes until soft and golden. Cool and mash into paste.
02 - Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking it apart with spoon, and cook 6-8 minutes until browned. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside.
03 - Add remaining olive oil to pot, then add onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté 6 minutes until softened.
04 - Stir in mashed roasted garlic, thyme, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook 1 minute until fragrant.
05 - Add beans, cooked sausage, chicken broth, and water. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
06 - Stir in chopped kale and continue simmering 10-12 minutes until kale is tender yet vibrant.
07 - Taste soup and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with Parmesan cheese, drizzle of olive oil, and crusty bread if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The roasted garlic dissolves into the broth and becomes this sweet, mellow anchor that holds everything together.
  • It's hearty enough to stand alone for dinner but elegant enough to serve when people are coming over.
  • One pot means you're done with dishes before the soup even cools down.
02 -
  • Don't skip roasting the garlic. It transforms from sharp and aggressive to sweet and mellow, and there's genuinely no shortcut that gives you the same result.
  • If you use canned beans without rinsing them, your soup will be cloudy and starchy. Those two minutes of rinsing change everything.
03 -
  • Brown the sausage in the same pot you'll make the soup in rather than a separate skillet. Those browned bits stuck to the bottom are liquid gold for flavor.
  • If your broth is very salty, use more water and less broth, then season boldly at the end so you're in control of the sodium.
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