I just can’t stop making soup, even when it’s ninety degrees outside. You may think of soup as purely a winter thing, but with all the fresh produce coming into my house (from the Farmer’s Market…remember, the organic gardening series were all guest posts!) I can’t help but make some of my favorites. 

This soup is fantastic in the winter, too, and often gets made when spinach is abundantly on sale in the grocery store (spinach makes a great substitute for the kale). However, it’s the dipping sandwiches that make this soup really special, and any tomato found in a grocery store is less than subpar. It’s got to be a summer thing.

(For other ideas to include broth and/or beans in your summer fare check out this post:  Ways to Use Broth and Beans in the Summer)

Recipe: Sausage, Bean and Kale Soup

(Recipe by Rachael Ray)

Ingredients

2 Tbs Extra-virgin olive oil …and when is someone going to tell RR that EVOO is not very stable for sauteeing?!?
1/2 or 1 lb. bulk Italian sweet or hot sausage (can use roll sausage)
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 carrots, chopped
1 large potato, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 cans white beans, drained and rinsed
salt and pepper
4 c. fresh kale (or other leafy green like spinach)
2 quarts chicken broth or stock
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano, to pass at table

Method:

Heat medium soup pot over medium-high heat (medium-low if using EVOO!).  Add the oil and sausage and brown.  Add veggies, bay leaf and beans.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes to soften veggies.  Add greens and wilt.  Add stock and cover.  Raise heat and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.  Serve with grated cheese for topping.

Recipe Notes:

• Any ground meat can be transformed into homemade sausage with the right seasoning blend. Adjust spice to taste with cayenne.
  
• You can leave the peels on the potatoes for nutrients, especially if you have organic.
• Allow the crushed garlic to rest for 7 minutes before heating for optimal health benefits; don’t overcook.
  
• I always encourage dry beans when you can; see how to cook them. For this recipe, you can use anywhere from 3-5 cups of cooked white beans. I make the whole bag and simply store any leftovers in the freezer!
  
• Of course you’re going to use homemade chicken stock, without question, right?

The Dipper

See that dip? It’s truly the sandwich that takes a good soup up to “great.” Layer sliced tomato, mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil (or alternately, a spread of pesto) on a sandwich. Brush the outsides with EVOO, either heated gently with fresh crushed garlic in a frying pan first, or take the easy route and use EVOO and garlic powder.

Grill like you would any grilled cheese OR on a George Foreman like this chicken wrap, and prepare to be amazed at what happens when grilled cheese grows up. It gets sophisticated. The way the flavors blend together with the soup is simply divine.

Have you seen my new eBook page? Click HERE to read new reviews of both books: Healthy Snacks to Go and the Family Camping Handbook. And be sure to check out the new Designed for Wellness eCourse, for busy moms to get their balance from food to sleep to stress! Lisa Byrne, holistic health counselor, dished an interview with me yesterday.

What to do with the rest of the sausage:

• Sausage Spinach Pasta Toss
• Sausage Zucchini Bake

Other Summer Soup Recipes:

• Cream of Vegetable Soup
• Garlic Soup
• Katie’s Simple Cabbage Soup with Secret Super Food

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