I am tired of getting blog posts forwarded to me that promote the health benefits of kale. Hippies have been eating the rich, dark-green, bitter leaves for years. Somehow the masses now know, and for me, that may be a problem.
Me? I’ve known about kale for around 5 years. I had never heard of it as a kid. I don’t think my mom grew or bought it.
Somewhere along the way, I too heard of its mysterious health properties. So, I guess I wasn’t late to the party, but not the earliest to arrive either.
I first used kale in lieu of some other green, when I first worked on recreating the Zuppa Toscana soup from my memories of partying at the Olive Garden. I was hooked.
This simple stew-like soup is not very much like the Zuppa recipe, although there certainly are some similar ingredients. This one contains beans, whatever sausage you have laying around, stock (preferably homemade), and a few other basic things. Simple. loaded with “health” and loads of flavor that even your kids will love.
By the way, if you are a CSA member…it is coming…
Sausage, Kale and White Bean Stew
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper
a few lakes of red pepper flakes
8 links of Italian or your favorite sausage, cut in discs or broken up out of casings
32 oz chicken broth/stock, preferably homemade
1 14 oz can of tomatoes
2, 14 oz cans of cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
1 large bunch of kale (in the winter, the TJ bagged kale is pretty good)
Parm
Saute onion in olive oil over medium heat in your dutch oven until onions are softened. Add garlic, s and p, and pepper flakes and let go for another minute. Add sausage and cook until browned. Add broth, tomatoes, and beans and bring to a boil. Let simmer for about 15 minutes. Add kale and simmer until wilted, approximately 3 more minutes.
Serve with crusty bread and of course sprinkle with parm.
If you liked this post on Sausage Kale and White Bean Stew, check out these links:
- Recipe for easy chicken stock
- Recipe for Polish Cabbage Soup
- One of my favorite blogs, DALS
