Sunday, February 11, 2007

minestrone?

i got some kale in the crop share this week and i was thinking of making momma moon's white beans, ham and kale for dinner this weekend. i started looking up recipes and kinda got sidetracked. here's what i ended up with:

white bean & sausage italian soup

i guess it's a minestrone, as there are tomatoes in it. here's what ended up going in the pot:

32 oz chicken broth and about half again as much water
1 lb sweet italian sausage (the trader joe's house brand is rad)
2 cans cannelini beans
1 onion, chopped
a few carrots chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 tsp dried thyme
salt
can crushed tomatoes with juice
small can of tomato sauce
a few handfuls of torn up kale

i browned the sausage links first, then put them aside to cool and slice up. i added a little olive oil to the sausage fat in the pot and then cooked the onions, celery, carrots, thyme and salt for about 6 - 8 minutes, until onion got soft and was just starting to take on a little color. then i deglazed the bottom of the pan with some of the chicken broth and added the rest of the liquid. then i added two cans of beans (drained), the tomatoes/sauce and the sliced sausage and let it simmer about 15 minutes. i added the kale and simmered about 15 more. served with some grated parmesan on top and sourdough bread to dip. proclaimed "delicious" by my long-suffering husband.

to try next time: deglaze the pan with some pinot grigio. add more broth. add some macaroni.

6 comments:

barb said...

february should be national soup month.....seems it just fits in the the climates around the country. looks yumm lil bird, uncle would really like this.

Deborah Eley De Bono said...

I love soup, it's like a fresh new canvas to get creative with.

ThursdayNext said...

We have a recipe exchange at work, and February is always soup month!

wheresmymind said...

Great idea for some Kale! I know we have some lurkin' around the house somewhere

Freya said...

I love Kale, it's one of my favourite vegetables. It is the perfect winter soup vegetable!
Your blog is great btw (first visit here!)
Freya

barb said...

freya welcome and thanks for your kind comments