Italian Sausage and Kale Soup

Name: Italian Sausage and Kale Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 8 h
Total time: 8 h 20 min
Yield: 8 servings (3-1/2 quarts).
Ingredients: 1 pound bulk hot Italian sausage; 6 cups chopped fresh kale; 2 cans (15-1/2 ounces each) great northern beans, rinsed and drained; 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes; 4 large carrots, finely chopped (about 3 cups); 1 medium onion, chopped; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/8 teaspoon pepper; 5 cups chicken stock; Grated Parmesan cheese

The first time I made this colorful soup, our home smelled wonderful. We knew it was a keeper to see us through cold winter days. —Sarah Stombaugh, Chicago, Illinois

Ingredients

1 pound bulk hot Italian sausage
6 cups chopped fresh kale
2 cans (15-1/2 ounces each) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
4 large carrots, finely chopped (about 3 cups)
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
5 cups chicken stock
Grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until no longer pink, breaking into crumbles; drain. Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker.
Add kale, beans, tomatoes, carrots, onion, garlic, seasonings and stock to slow cooker. Cook, covered, on low 8-10 hours or until vegetables are tender. Top each serving with cheese.

Test Kitchen tips

Cannellini beans are a fine substitute for great northern beans, so use what you have on hand.

Turkey Italian sausage is a great alternative in this recipe, too.

Nutrition Facts

1-3/4 cups (calculated without cheese): 297 calories, 13g fat (4g saturated fat), 31mg cholesterol, 1105mg sodium, 31g carbohydrate (7g sugars, 9g fiber), 16g protein.

Originally published as Italian Sausage and Kale Soup in Taste of Home February/March 2016

Reviews

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Average Rating:

Henrietta

Oct 29, 2018

Love this soup, and so easy! I made it pretty much as the recipe calls for with some adjustments for ingredients on hand. I used chorizo instead of Italian sausage, spinach for half the kale, upped the spice to 1T Italian mixed seasoning and used only one can of beans. Delicious! Beautiful deep red color.
ellimaye1

Oct 28, 2018

Good but not a favorite.
Gramma Amy

Feb 22, 2018

Very tasty and hearty soup. To cut down on the spicy zip of hot sausage, I use sweet Italian sausage. And I increased the spices a little: 3 Tbsp minced garlic, 2 tsp oregano, 2 tsp salt, 3/4 tsp black pepper, and 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper. I also added about 1 Cup water to the chicken broth and crushed tomato base. The soup was perfect to serve to my father during his chemotherapy. They asked for the recipe! Thick with vegetables, and a yummy broth.
robbrd

Jan 29, 2018

I made a double batch due to the number of people at our table for dinner. I enjoyed this soup. I can't say it was a hit with the family. Some of the kids weren't overly excited with the kale in it. We ended up freezing a third of it. I'm still giving it a higher rating because it is good recipe. Just noting it wasn't a favorite for the kids so when I make it again, I don't double the recipe. :)
MJ6525

Jan 5, 2018

Made this tonight in our pressure cooker and we loved it!! I added a can of sliced tomatoes, drained. Only because we love tomatoes. I also used cannellini beans since we had them on hand. Will definitely make this again!
qalady01

Dec 28, 2017

I've made this several times and it is delicious. It also freezes well.
annrms

Jan 5, 2017

MY DH made a double batch of this soup. It's a colorful, flavorful and hearty one that we had with slices of smoked Gouda and crackers. Some is in the freezer, but we're looking to enjoy more for lunch in the next few days. Its a perfect winter warmup.
Remenec

Mar 2, 2016

This was the perfect combination of soup, stew, and chili. I only added about have the kale, but it still very prominent in the recipe. The flavors were amazing and everyone loved it-even the kids!
tfahey

Feb 16, 2016

I must say I was a bit skeptical because it seemed so simple and didn't have a lot of seasonings... It turned out way beyond what I expected--delicious. I followed recipe ingredients exactly but had to start with crockpot on high for the first few hours and then switched to low for another couple hours. This worked great. Lots of flavor and we used Italian blend cheese!
NH-rescue

Feb 14, 2016

Hearty and delicious! We used cannellini beans instead of great northern and mild instead of hot sausage and it still tasted great. So easy to do in a slow cooker!