White Bean and Winter Green Soup ... It's a Keeper!

So, allow me to preface before diving into this recipe. First of all, I hardly took pictures because, I made the majority of this recipe up, and figured by doing so, it would be a flop. I WAS WRONG! And so I have one picture of it cooking to show you :( But believe me when I say, this will warm you up on any cold winter evening and you'll feel satisfied, but not too full, at all! We enjoyed it and will be having leftovers this week! It makes a lot!

Also, like I said, although I was inspired by a recipe on wholefoods.com - this dish is really a dish I created in my mind the longer I thought about it, as well as one I created based on leftover veggies in my refrigerator! You could leave a lot of it out, and I'll let you know when that option comes along!

Lastly, its going to call for Chicken Sausage. If you live near a Whole Foods- they have AWESOME chicken sausage. Mine were spinach and feta flavored. They also have like sun dried tomato ones etc. BUT- you can use turkey sausage or any chicken sausage you find at your local grocery!

The "Recipe" (Loose as it may be!)

12 oz of Chicken Sausage (I used spinach and feta sausage)

2 - 32 oz Jugs of Chicken Broth (Reduced sodium if you can find it!)

1 T Olive Oil

3-4 garlic cloves smashed and minced

1 white or yellow onion chopped

1/2 red bell pepper chopped (Optional, I had it in my fridge!)

1 cup julienned/sliced carrots (Optional, I had them in my fridge for tomorrow's dinner!)

Salt and Pepper to Taste

1 bunch of Kale, ribs and stems removed, leaves torn or chopped

7 cups of cooked white beans (Equal to about a bag and a half of dried beans)

*If you buy dried beans, soak them overnight, then boil for about an hour until soft the next day*

Italian Spices/Seasoning

 (Optional- you could use any italian spices- rosemary, thyme, parsley, oregano etc.)

Method:

IF YOUR BEANS ARE DRY- you need to soak them in water at least 8 hours, preferable over night. Then, cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for an hour until soft

IF YOUR SAUSAGE IS RAW (Meaning not pre-cooked)- you'll need to boil or steam them so that they are ready to throw in the dish!

1. Put about 1/4 cup of broth in the bottom of a large pot. (I used a dutch oven) Add Olive Oil. Heat over medium heat.

2. Slice up your sausage and toss it in. Let it cook until liquid is absorbed, stirring constantly. They should start to brown up in the olive oil.

3. At this point, add your garlic, chopped onion, chopped pepper, and carrots. If they start to stick to the bottom, splash some chicken broth over them. Let them cook about 5 minutes and soften up.

4. Add the rest of the chicken stock to the pot, along with the cooked beans

5. Bring to a boil. Add kale, cover, reduce heat, and simmer about 5 more minutes.

6. Add in salt and pepper as well as any italian herbs/spices you want TO TASTE.

7. Once heated through, it is ready to serve at any point!

Optional Toppings: Crutons, Torn Stale Bread, Oyster Crackers, Red Onions, Red Pepper Flakes, Hot Sauce.

ENJOY :)