Tuscan Style Turkey Sausage, White Bean and Kale Soup
Tuscan Style Sausage, White Bean and Kale Soup
We’re paying homage to the versatile bean in cooking class this week. Monday’s post included garbanzo beans in the classic-made-modern version of Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad. Tuesday I posted a flavorful Black and White Bean Greek Salad which the class gobbled up last night. The dressing was light and lemony contrasting nicely with the Feta cheese and mint leaves.
Tuscan style means simple and honest flavors and ingredients like olive oil, fresh herbs, spinach, tomatoes and beans. Like a lot of soups, the chopping and combining takes some time, but once it’s on the stove you just let it simmer away until it reduces slightly and the flavors meld into a symphony of wholesome goodness.
It’s gratifying to find additional ways to use kale, a dark green leafie that has emerged as a nutritional rock star, a far cry from its days relegated to the linings of vegetable baskets or produce shelves. So glad someone gave this powerfood a shot! Like most dark green leafies, kale is loaded with minerals potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorus and manganese and vitamins A, C and K. But unlike it’s main competitor spinach, the oxalate content in kale is low so calcium and iron are better absorbed. And a cup of cooked kale boasts 1000% more vitamin C than a cup of cooked spinach!! Kale has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity for diabetics and improve blood pressure. Bring it on!
This wonderful soup is inspired from an aesthetically pleasing food blog called Shared Appetite written by Chris who is a very talented food photographer who also loves good food. I improved the nutritional profile by switching to Italian turkey sausage but left most everything else the same.
- Tuscan Style Turkey Sausage, White Bean and Kale Soup
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 pound Italian seasoned turkey sausage, casings removed
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 large carrots, finely diced
- 1 large potato, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 (15-ounce) cans white cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 bunches kale, stems removed and roughly chopped
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Heat olive oil in a large pot placed over medium heat. Add sausage and brown, stirring occasionally to break into smaller pieces, approximately 10 minutes. Add onion, carrots, potato, and bay leaves. Cook until vegetables begin to soften, stirring occasionally, approximately 10 minutes. Add garlic and beans, and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add kale, and cook until it becomes slightly wilted. Add chicken stock, correct seasonings with salt and pepper and cover with lid.
- Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and keep at a simmer for at least 45 minutes. (The soup will thicken as the potatoes begin to release their starch into the soup.) Best if stored in refrigerator over night and served the next day.
You also might like: Citrus Kale Slaw
Citrus Kale Slaw
CATHY
This is very yummy. Has anyone calculated calories?
CATHY
I mean for the tuscan style turkey sausage, white bean, and kale soup.
Karen
Hi Cathy. Here is the nutritional breakdown for the soup (8 servings). Per serving: 150 calories, 20 grams carbohydrate, 4 grams fat, 9 grams protein. If you want to increase protein and reduce carbohydrates add a pound of ground turkey along with the sausage and cut down to just one can cannelini beans. If you do that then the the nutritional breakdown would look like this: 205 calories, 14 grams carbohydrate, 8 grams fat, 17 grams protein. Hope that helps.