I make a lot of soup in the Fall, Winter and early Spring...like, about 4 times a week I'm in the kitchen making soup in the morning for lunches, either from a recipe or more often just winging it. So it surprised me how much this soup made me happy...mostly because of the easy-peasy 'meatballs' made by just pinching off and scrunching together the sausage. I didn't bother with frying the meatballs...just added them straight to the pot and let them poach in the simmering broth. Quick and easy. It's a 'meatball' for when you want meatballs, but don’t want to make meatballs. smileys/smile.gif
Looking forward to adding sausage 'meatballs' to other dishes soon....like a pasta sauce or marinara.
Big thanks to Curious1 for turning me on to the recipe.
Pat's changes: No cannellini beans on hand so I used red kidney beans (just 1 can). Used fresh lemon juice instead of vinegar. Used hot Italian sausage. Used the Parmesan rind and also grated some fresh Parmesan over the top of the soup before serving. Delish and filling.
Oh, and for those who may not be fond of kale, I think swiss chard, spinach or other greens would do just fine, though honestly, I think the kale was really nice in this soup.
Sausage, Cannellini and Kale Soup
This hearty Tuscan soup is full of flavor. The crinkly, deep-green leaves of Lacinato kale (also called dinosaur or black kale) are ideal, but any variety of kale will work. This recipe is easily adaptable to serve meat-lovers and vegetarians alike: see the variation to serve one vegetarian, or check out the totally meatless version of this recipe.
1-1/2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (1-1/2 cups)
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped (3/4 cup)
1 medium celery stalk, finely chopped (3/4 cup)
1-1/2 tsp minced fresh rosemary
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 large cloves garlic, minced (1 tbsp)
1 quart homemade or lower-salt chicken or vegetable broth
Two 15-oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (Pat’s note: used 1 can red kidney beans)
6 oz. Lacinato kale, center ribs removed, leaves chopped (about 4 firmly packed cups)
1 Parmigiano-Reggiano rind (1×3 inches; optional)
1-1/2 tsp. cider vinegar (Pat’s note: used fresh lemon juice)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2/3 lb. sweet or hot bulk Italian sausage, rolled into bite-size meatballs
Heat 1 Tbs. of the oil in a 4- to 5-quart pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and rosemary and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 6 minutes. Add the tomato paste and garlic and cook until fragrant, 45 seconds. Add the broth, beans, kale, and Parmigiano rind (if using). Bring to a boil, reduce the heat
to medium low, and simmer gently until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1/2 Tbs. oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the sausage meatballs, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Add the sausage to the soup and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook 5 minutes more to meld the flavors. Stir the cider vinegar into the soup and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve with a crusty baguette or Garlic Crostini with Spinach Salad.
To serve 1 vegetarian and 3 meat lovers: Use vegetable broth for the soup. Reduce the sausage to 1/2 lb. and cook the meatballs in the same fashion. After stirring the cider vinegar into the soup and seasoning to taste, set aside 1-3/4 cups of the soup for the vegetarian before adding the meatballs.
Serves 4
Source: https://www.finecooking.com/recipe/sausage-cannellini-and-kale-soup
https://www.finecooking.com/recipe/sausage-cannellini-and-kale-soup
Looking forward to adding sausage 'meatballs' to other dishes soon....like a pasta sauce or marinara.
Big thanks to Curious1 for turning me on to the recipe.
Pat's changes: No cannellini beans on hand so I used red kidney beans (just 1 can). Used fresh lemon juice instead of vinegar. Used hot Italian sausage. Used the Parmesan rind and also grated some fresh Parmesan over the top of the soup before serving. Delish and filling.
Oh, and for those who may not be fond of kale, I think swiss chard, spinach or other greens would do just fine, though honestly, I think the kale was really nice in this soup.
Sausage, Cannellini and Kale Soup
This hearty Tuscan soup is full of flavor. The crinkly, deep-green leaves of Lacinato kale (also called dinosaur or black kale) are ideal, but any variety of kale will work. This recipe is easily adaptable to serve meat-lovers and vegetarians alike: see the variation to serve one vegetarian, or check out the totally meatless version of this recipe.
1-1/2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (1-1/2 cups)
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped (3/4 cup)
1 medium celery stalk, finely chopped (3/4 cup)
1-1/2 tsp minced fresh rosemary
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 large cloves garlic, minced (1 tbsp)
1 quart homemade or lower-salt chicken or vegetable broth
Two 15-oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (Pat’s note: used 1 can red kidney beans)
6 oz. Lacinato kale, center ribs removed, leaves chopped (about 4 firmly packed cups)
1 Parmigiano-Reggiano rind (1×3 inches; optional)
1-1/2 tsp. cider vinegar (Pat’s note: used fresh lemon juice)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2/3 lb. sweet or hot bulk Italian sausage, rolled into bite-size meatballs
Heat 1 Tbs. of the oil in a 4- to 5-quart pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and rosemary and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 6 minutes. Add the tomato paste and garlic and cook until fragrant, 45 seconds. Add the broth, beans, kale, and Parmigiano rind (if using). Bring to a boil, reduce the heat
to medium low, and simmer gently until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1/2 Tbs. oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the sausage meatballs, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Add the sausage to the soup and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook 5 minutes more to meld the flavors. Stir the cider vinegar into the soup and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve with a crusty baguette or Garlic Crostini with Spinach Salad.
To serve 1 vegetarian and 3 meat lovers: Use vegetable broth for the soup. Reduce the sausage to 1/2 lb. and cook the meatballs in the same fashion. After stirring the cider vinegar into the soup and seasoning to taste, set aside 1-3/4 cups of the soup for the vegetarian before adding the meatballs.
Serves 4
Source: https://www.finecooking.com/recipe/sausage-cannellini-and-kale-soup
https://www.finecooking.com/recipe/sausage-cannellini-and-kale-soup