I don’t know about you, but once September rolls around I am ready for cool mornings and evenings, wearing pants and sweaters (yes, please!) and making soup! I appreciate the changing of the seasons as a reset for so many things and although we are few days away from the official first day of fall, I am embracing the slowing down of a busy summer season and bringing the cooking back inside after lots of outdoor meals. I’m starting with this soup, which definitely leans more towards a winter soup, but is also great on a fall or spring day. We grew our own potatoes this year for the first time, and I have to say there is something so gratifying about watching the kids dig up these lovely little red potatoes. They are tender and delicious and we are using them in this soup today. Here’s to gardening and using what you grow to make a hearty and delicious meal.
RECIPE:
1 lb. Mild Italian Sausage (can be links or bulk – you can go spicy instead of mild here, but I make mine less spicy for my kiddos)
1 yellow or white onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
5-6 Red potatoes or 3-4 Yukon Golds
2 cans cannellini beans
1/2 bunch kale, 4 large stems with leaves cut off the stem (I love dinosaur kale here, but curly works great too!)
1/2 tsp black pepper (or more to your taste)
1 Tablespoon chicken bouillon
3 cups of warmed water
3 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons all purpose flour
1 tsp salt (or more to your taste)
1/2 whole milk, cream or half and half (optional, but recommended)
Freshly grated Parmesan, for topping (optional but recommended)
Directions:
- In a large pot or dutch oven, cook sausage over medium heat. Break up sausage into smaller pieces as you cook. About 1/2 way through cooking, add the chopped onion to the pan to cook with the sausage.
- When onion has cooked for about 3-5 minutes, add in chopped garlic. Don’t add the garlic too soon, as it can burn easily. Cook garlic with the onion and sausage for a few more minutes. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside. You will add it back in the pot shortly.
- Prep your chicken bouillon and water. Use a tea kettle to warm up 3-4 cups of water. Pour that into a glass measuring cup and add the chicken bouillon and stir to dissolve. Set aside.
- Now par-cook your potatoes. You can do this a few ways, but I like to cut my potatoes bite size pieces (1-2″ cubes) and put them into a microwave safe bowl with 1/2 cup or so of water and cover it with plastic wrap. Then I microwave at 50% power for 5 minutes. You don’t need the potatoes to be completely cooked as they will finish their cooking in the pot.
- While the potatoes are cooking you can make the roux. Melt butter in the dutch oven, scraping any remaining bits from the sausage mixture into the melted butter. Once butter has melted add in the flour. Stir consistently until lightly browned.
- Slowly and while whisking, add the chicken bouillon water to the roux. Making sure no clumps remain.
- Add in cannellini beans and sausage/garlic/ onion mixture.
- Add in potatoes and black pepper and let simmer for a few minutes.
- Once the soup has simmered a bit, give it a taste and add more salt or pepper to your liking. I think it usually needs about 1 tsp of salt.
- Add chopped kale and let simmer for at least 5 minutes, up to 30 minutes.
- Add in your milk or cream at the end to create a richer soup. Stir thoroughly.
- Serve with grated parmesan and a few pieces of buttered crusty bread. Enjoy!
