A great soup that freezes well and is perfect with a fresh baked roll when the chilly weather won’t go away. It is full of great protein and love all the mixture of beans and nutrients. You could easily make the soup vegan, just scrap the bacon and sausage and use a vegetable stock for the soup. The Tuscan kale is wonderful as it maintains its integrity. I love to use a homemade stock, I usually have some frozen in the freezer, but a high quality store bought one works as well.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

  • 15 oz 10 bean mixture
  • 12 oz chicken sausage, chop in half inch dice
  • 3 slices extra thick bacon, diced
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 4-5 cups homemade or chicken stock
  • 1 large onion, small dice
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 carrots, small dice
  • 3 celery stalks, small dice
  • 6 cups thinly sliced and chopped kale, stems removed
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tablespoon chopped thyme
  • 2 teaspoons oregano or za’atar seasoning
  • Kosher salt and pepper

Directions:

Chop bacon in small bits and add to a Dutch oven (I love my le creuset, but a heavy bottom pot works great) on medium heat. Stir occasionally until bacon is crisp and remove from the pot. Place on on a paper lined plate and set aside.

Add olive oil to the pot along with sausage and sauté for about 5 minutes until crisp on all sides. Remove and set aside.

Next add the onions, garlic, carrots and celery to the pot and sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently and seasoning with salt and pepper until translucent and well coated. Pour in wine, scraping up all brown bits at the bottom of your pan. Next add bay leaf and seasonings to your pot along with beans and about 4 cups of your stock. Bring mixture to a simmer and cover. Add remaining stock, little by little as needed to achieve the right consistency as beans continue to absorb liquid. Simmer soup on low covered for 1- 1/2 hours until beans are tender. During the last 30 minutes of cooking, add the sausage back into soup.

Just before serving, add chopped kale into pot allowing it to wilt along with parsley and crispy bacon. Serve hot with fresh bread and enjoy!