The temperatures are dropping into the 40s this week which puts me in the mood for some warm soup!  Kale, Bean, and Sausage Soup with Parmesan Cheese to be exact.  The recipe actually calls for escarole but my grocery store didn’t have any so I used kale instead.  Normally, the old me wouldn’t have even looked for escarole and would have automatically reached for spinach instead.  But part of the point of this blog is to try new things and expand my palette so instead of taking the easy way out with spinach, I turned to kale, which I don’t think I’ve ever eaten before.  A nutritious leafy green, kale wilts easily like spinach so it works well in soup like this.  Mixed with sweet turkey sausage, fennel, and cannellini beans, this soup is satisfying and exactly what I want on a chilly evening.

The ingredients:

Cook together onion (I used shallot because it’s what I had on hand), fennel bulb, garlic, and sausage in olive oil.

When the sausage is browned and the vegetables tender, add in chicken broth, water, and beans.

While the soup comes to a boil, wash and chop the kale.

Add the kale into the soup and cook until wilted.

Top with parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

• Kale for escarole
• Shallot for onion

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine