Yield: Yields about 10 cups.
Servings: six to eight.
This garlicky soup is a snap to pull together, and most of the ingredients are basic pantry staples. The whole thing is ready in about an hour, but the soup’s complex flavors belie the quick cooking time. You can serve it as soon as the kale is tender, but letting it sit for an hour and then reheating gently makes it even better (wait to add the lemon until just before serving). Crusty cheese toasts make an excellent accompaniment.
Remove the sausage from its casing and tear it by hand into bite-size pieces. Heat 1 Tbs. of the olive oil in a 4- or 5-quart heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a plate, leaving any rendered fat in the pot.
Add the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil to the pot, increase the heat to medium high, and add the onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the carrot and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to soften and brown, about 2 minutes more. Be sure to scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the garlic, pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil over high heat.
When the broth reaches a boil, reduce the heat to medium, add the sausage along with any collected juices, and half the beans. Mash the remaining beans with a fork or wooden spoon and add them to the pot, stirring to distribute. Stir in the kale, adjust the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer, and simmer until the kale is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest (if using) and season to taste with salt and pepper.
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I have to admit, soup is not my thing. My husband and I were getting over colds and we'd enjoyed something similar while in Tuscany so I thought I'd try this recipe out. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I LOVED this soup! We had leftovers tonight and it was even better than two nights ago. I followed this recipe to a T. Even added the extra zest which I think really brightens the flavor. After spooning into bowls, I finished with a small drizzle of GOOD olive oil (we use Laudemio), Penzey's Aleppo pepper flakes, and just a pinch of stone ground Romano. If you're not usually a soup person like me, give this a try. It's filling and delicious.
Like a previous reviewer, I used hot Italian sausage since we prefer it. Wish I could find Cavolo Nero in our area but locally grown ,kale was a good substitute. Perfect meal for a gloomy, damp December night. Would make it again, maybe with more sausage.
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