Italian White Bean Soup with Kale (Printer View)

Rustic soup with sausage, beans, and kale in roasted garlic broth.

# What you'll need:

→ Meats

01 - 1 pound spicy Italian sausage, casings removed

→ Vegetables

02 - 2 tablespoons 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, stems removed, leaves chopped

→ Beans

08 - 2 cans cannellini beans, 15 ounces each, drained and rinsed

→ Liquids

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

→ Herbs & Seasonings

11 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
12 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
13 - 1/2 teaspoon 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

# Method:

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, then mash into paste.
02 - Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking it apart with spoon, and cook 6-8 minutes until browned and cooked through. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside.
03 - Add remaining olive oil to pot, then add onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 6 minutes until softened.
04 - Stir in mashed roasted garlic, thyme, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 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 simmer 10-12 minutes until kale is tender but vibrant.
07 - Taste soup and season with salt and pepper as desired.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with Parmesan cheese, olive oil drizzle, and crusty bread if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in about an hour but tastes like you spent all afternoon tending to it.
  • The roasted garlic adds a mellow sweetness that balances the spicy sausage and bitter kale beautifully.
  • It's naturally gluten-free if you choose the right sausage, and freezes like a dream for future desperate weeknight moments.
02 -
  • Don't skip the roasted garlic step because raw garlic will taste sharp and one-dimensional, but roasted garlic becomes almost buttery and rounds out the whole soup.
  • Add the kale near the end rather than at the beginning, otherwise it will turn dark and mushy and lose its vibrant personality.
03 -
  • Keep your broth low-sodium because you can always add salt, but you can't take it back out, and the beans and sausage contribute their own seasoning.
  • Break the sausage into small pieces rather than leaving it in chunks so every spoonful gets some of that savory, spicy flavor.
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