Italian White Bean Soup with Kale (Print)

Hearty Italian soup with white beans, sausage, and kale in a rich garlic broth.

# Ingredients:

→ Meats

01 - 1 lb spicy Italian sausage, casings removed

→ Vegetables

02 - 2 tbsp olive oil
03 - 1 large yellow onion, diced
04 - 2 medium carrots, diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 6 cloves garlic, peeled
07 - 1 bunch Tuscan kale, stems removed, leaves chopped

→ Beans

08 - 2 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

→ Liquids

09 - 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
10 - 1 cup water

→ Herbs & Seasonings

11 - 1 tsp dried thyme
12 - 1 tsp dried oregano
13 - 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
14 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

# Instructions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Place garlic cloves on foil, drizzle with olive oil, wrap, and roast for 20 minutes until soft and golden. Cool and mash into paste.
02 - Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking it up with spoon, and cook 6-8 minutes until browned and cooked through. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside.
03 - Add remaining olive oil to pot, then add onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté 6 minutes until softened.
04 - Stir in mashed roasted garlic, thyme, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook 1 minute until fragrant.
05 - Add beans, cooked sausage, chicken broth, and water. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
06 - Stir in chopped kale and continue simmering 10-12 minutes until kale is tender but vibrant.
07 - Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as desired.
08 - Ladle into bowls and garnish with Parmesan cheese, extra virgin olive oil, and crusty bread if desired.

# Pro Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like you've been simmering it all day, but it comes together in just an hour.
  • The roasted garlic transforms the entire soup into something deeper and sweeter than raw garlic ever could.
  • One pot, zero pretension, feeds six people and actually tastes better as leftovers.
02 -
  • Roasting the garlic is not optional if you want this soup to taste restaurant-quality—raw garlic tastes sharp and thin by comparison.
  • Remove the kale stems completely or they'll stay tough no matter how long you simmer, and nobody wants to chew on that.
03 -
  • Never skip rinsing the canned beans—that starchy liquid will cloud your otherwise clear, elegant broth.
  • Taste the soup multiple times as it cooks instead of waiting until the end, and you'll develop a real intuition for seasoning balance.
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