Description
This hearty soup combines the flavors of Italian sausage, beans, and kale for a comforting dish.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 carrots (diced)
- 1 medium yellow onion (chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- ¼ cup basil pesto
- ¼–½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 30 ounces cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (or Great Northern or Navy beans)
- 1 pound mild Italian sausage (casings removed)
- 1 bunch kale (roughly chopped with stems removed)
- 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Prep the vegetables by chopping the carrots and onion, and mincing the garlic cloves.
- Add the chopped vegetables to a large slow cooker along with pesto, red pepper flakes, and chicken broth. Cover tightly with lid and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.
- Remove lid and add in sweet Italian sausage, breaking it up into small bite-size chunks. Stir in kale, rinsed and drained cannellini beans, and lemon juice and zest.
- Cover again and cook on high for another 30-45 minutes until sausage is cooked through and soup is hot.
- Serve with Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top. Leftover soup can be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Notes
- This soup is versatile; you can use different types of beans or greens if preferred.
- Adjust the amount of red pepper flakes based on your spice preference.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 6-8 hours
- Category: soup
- Method: slow cooker
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 8g
- Protein: 24g
- Cholesterol: 60mg