SAUSAGE, WHITE BEAN, & KALE SOUP

We had a couple of dear friends come for a visit today. They brought with them their eight kids. I didn’t have time to plan a fancy dinner, nor did I have time to go to the store. This is when I LOVE having home canned goods in the pantry and fresh meats in the freezer!

I decided to do a couple of different types of soup that I could put in the crockpots and let them cook while we caught up with each other. The first soup I made was the Cheeseburger Soup that I posted here. It sounded like something all the kids would enjoy. The second one was the soup I’m sharing with you today.

1 pound pork sausage, crumbled and browned

1 medium onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1 cup carrots, diced

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups kale, stemmed and chopped

1 quart white beans, rinsed and drained

4 cups chicken stock

1 tablespoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

salt & pepper to taste

We just had one of our pigs processed so I have a lot of ground sausage. You could use any type sausage for this recipe or even a smoked Italian sausage or kielbasa. Begin by browning the meat. When it is cooked, drain and put it in the crockpot.

Next, in the same pan you browned the meat, add the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic. Saute until just tender, stirring to prevent the garlic from burning. Add this to the crockpot.

This is a very flavorful and hearty soup. Serve with a crusty bread and you have a nice meal.