Italian Sausage, Kale and Potato Soup

Last Wednesday, it was a chilly, rainy day here in Texas, and nothing is more comforting on a day like that than a nice big bowl of hot soup. One of my new favorite soup recipes is an Italian Sausage and Kale Soup by Radiance Nutrition. I’ve made it several times now, but this time, I decided to make a few changes to the original recipe. My husband and I both loved it, so I decided I would share it on the blog today.

One of the changes I made was using roasted garlic. About twenty minutes before beginning the soup, I started the garlic roasting in the oven. If you’ve never done that before, here’s a great tutorial on how to roast garlic.  I love garlic period, but the flavor you get from roasting it is unbelievable. It takes it to a whole other level. Seriously, if you haven’t tried it, you are missing out.

I purchase bulk  (no casing) hot italian chicken sausage  at our local Sprouts. If all you can find is the kind in the casing, just remove it from the casing prior to cooking.  If you don’t like spicy, you could substitute sweet Italian, but I really like the spiciness that the hot kinds adds to the soup.

I didn’t have any fresh kale on hand, so I substituted some frozen kale. I spotted some Earthbound Farms organic frozen kale recently at Whole Foods, so I grabbed a couple of bags. I didn’t even know you could buy frozen kale. I love to stock my freezer with tons of different types of frozen veggies, so that I always have them on hand for times just like this.

Fun Fact:

“Kale provides rich nutrition ingredients that offer protection from vitamin A deficiency, osteoporosis, iron-deficiency anemia, and believed to protect from cardiovascular diseases and colon and prostate cancers”.

–Source

This soup is very filling, comforting and tasty. Hope you enjoy!

What is your favorite go-to soup recipe?

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Italian Sausage, Kale and Potato Soup (adapted from Radiance Nutrition)

Roasted garlic adds a huge boost of flavor to Italian Sausage, Kale and Potato Soup. A hearty soup that is super easy and healthy! 

Course Main

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Author Tempie

Ingredients

• 1 head of roasted garlic (see note below)
• 1.25 lbs . hot italian chicken sausage ( remove from casing if not using bulk sausage)
• 1 large onion , diced
• 1 tbsp . fennel , crushed
• 1 tbsp . italian seasoning
• 2 tbsp . tomato paste
• 1 (14.5 oz) can of fire roasted crushed tomatoes
• 1 large yukon gold potato , diced
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock or water ( I usually just use water)
• 1 bunch of kale , stemmed and diced ( I used a bag of frozen kale)
• salt to taste

Instructions

• About fifteen minutes prior to starting the soup, begin roasting a head of garlic in the oven. Heat 1 tbsp. coconut oil (or olive oil) over medium high heat. Add the chicken sausage, breaking it up as it browns. When it's just about completely browned, add the onions and cook for 5-6 minutes more. Add the crushed fennel, italian seasoning and mix together. Stir in the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, roasted garlic, potatoes and water. Ten minutes before the soup is done, stir in the kale (if using frozen kale, add in with the potatoes) Bring to a simmer and cook for about ten minutes more, or until potatoes and kale are tender.

Notes

How to roast a head garlic: Preheat oven to 400°. Slice the top of a head of garlic off ( about a 1/4 slice) so that the tops of the garlic cloves are exposed. Place onto a square sheet of foil. Drizzle with about 1 tsp of olive oil. Wrap up the head of garlic in the foil. Place directly onto rack on a baking sheet. Bake for 35 to 50 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool before handling. Squeeze cloves into a bowl and mash before adding to soup.

By Tempie at May 26, 2017.