White Bean and Sausage Soup

West Texas weather is like a roller coaster. We had our first freeze last week and so much rain. Rain that we had prayed for all spring and summer. This rain felt very late to the party as we have started harvest. And I know some very eager farmers that are ready to get back in the (dry) dirt. All the cold rain had me in the mood for soup. So I thought I would share one of my favorite recipes.

First of all, it must be said that this soup is amazing. It’s been in our rotation for a few years. And I thought it is a great one to share with you because it has nutrition, it is easy, and it makes a great freezer meal.

Before we get started, I have a few notes on ingredients. So when I buy meat, specifically sausages, I look for a few things. Uncured. No antibiotics. No nitrates. No nitrites. No msg. Preferably grass fed. But would settle for the most “clean” one on the shelf that’s a reasonable price. If I am shopping at Market Street, Pederson’s is the brand that I buy. If I’m at Costco or Natural Grocers, I buy Teton.

When I use broth, I usually have some home made bone broth in my freezer. It’s so much cheaper to make your own. And has way more nutrition than a regular ole carton at the store. But when convenience is a priority, I’m not turning my nose up at that carton. Most things in life aren’t 100% perfect. Aaaaaaaand...I have so much peace with that.

Now...Lets cook.

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White Bean and Sausage Soup

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 yellow onion

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil

• 1 tsp minced garlic

• 1 package of polish or kielbasa sausage

• 2 cans of white kidney beans

• 1 big bushel of kale

• 32 ounces of organic chicken broth or bone broth

• 1 tsp salt

• 1-2 inch block of Parmesan cheese (rind is preferable)

**optional: Mark really likes this recipe with mushrooms. And when I have them, I throw them in the pot too.

Prep work

• Dice the onion

• Slice the sausage

• Mince the garlic

• Wash kale and shred the leaves off the stem into bite sized pieces

• Drain and rinse the white kidney beans

• Cut a chunk of parmesan block.

Directions

I use a soup pot and heat the olive oil. Add the onion, cook on medium high until translucent. Add the sausage and brown on each side-ish. Add the garlic. Add the beans. Add the chicken broth. Add the kale. And to sound a little more repetitive, add the parmesan block. Bring to a boil. And then let it simmer until the kale is wilted down. Add salt. And SERVE!

To serve

I like to add a small scoop of sour cream to my bowl. Everyone else gets some shredded parmesan cheese on top.

Option to Freeze

So when I make this for a freezer meal. I do all of the prep work. I don’t cook anything, so I scratch the olive oil. And put it all in a freezer bag without the broth.

To make this out of the freezer, you pour the contents of the bag into a soup pot or crockpot, add the chicken broth and let it boil until it’s all cooked through. Simmer and add salt. Or you can drop it in the crockpot and let it slow cook for 4 hours. Still add salt. And call it a day!