Easy 30-Minute Tuscan Kale and Cannellini Soup

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Print

Easy 30-Minute Tuscan Kale and Cannellini Soup features fresh fennel, onion, tomatoes, kale, cannellini beans and sweet Italian sausage in a light broth. Fresh lemon juice adds a touch of brightness to this dish.

You can serve this soup with a few shavings of fresh Parmesan cheese and a crusty roll; however, it stands on its own quite nicely. It’s also quite delicious with a slice of rustic blue corn flatbread.

Time Saving Tip

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Print

The tiny meatballs in this Italian soup are fun and elegant, but if you’re short on time, you can skip this step in the recipe. Instead, precook the two Italian sausages in their skins. Allow the sausages to cool completely before slicing and adding them to the soup.

If you happen to have a couple Italian sausages left over from your game day tailgate grilling party, this is a great way to use them up. And it will shave a few minutes off the overall prep time as well, making this Easy 30-Minute Tuscan Kale and Cannellini Soup and even faster mid-week dinner.

Which beans are best for this Easy 30-Minute Tuscan Kale and Cannellini Soup? Canned, boxed or jarred?

I find the flavor of some canned goods to take on a slightly metallic flavor. It’s one of the reasons I’m trying to break away from metal. For this reason, whenever I can, I prefer to buy canned goods that are packaged in either glass jars or boxes.

My personal favorite brand of beans is Jack’s Quality brand. They’re easy to find since most larger grocery stores and smaller health food stores carry them. They are also delicious!

Enjoy it now. Enjoy it later.

Tuscan Kale and Cannellini Soup is the kind of dish I will start in the morning on a weekend and it will be ready by noon kickoff (if you are a football fan). Served with a side salad, a crusty loaf of bread and something sweet to round out the meal, you have yourself a perfect game-day feast. If you have the time, these Easy as 1-2-3- Soft Herb Rolls pair beautifully with this Easy 30-Minute Tuscan Kale and Cannellini Soup.

This recipe does make a lot – enough to serve 10, but don’t let this keep you from trying it. Unlike some soups, this one freezes really well. I will often make this recipe and freeze it in 2-3 portions that we can pull out over the course of the fall and winter.

It provides us with a quick and healthy dinner mid-week when we’re too tired to cook. And it’s a great way to stay on track when you’re trying to eat a little better.

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Print

Easy 30-Minute Tuscan Kale and Cannellini Soup

Recipe by Maria Ostrander Course: All Recipes, MainsCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Intermediate

Servings

10

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Ingredients

• 2 Sweet Italian Sausages, removed from casings

• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

• 1 cup fennel, 1/4 dice

• 1/3 cup white onion, 1/4 inch dice

• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

• 1/2 tsp. minced garlic

• 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

• 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, rinsed and drained

• 3 cups Tuscan kale, cleaned, stems removed and cut into 1 inch pieces

• 2 quarts low-sodium chicken stock

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• To prepare the meatballs, remove the sausages from their casing and roll into tiny meatballs – approximately 25 to 28 balls.
• In a medium-size stock pot, heat 1 Tbsp. of olive oil over medium heat and add the meat balls in 2-3 batches.  Cook the meat balls until brown on one side and gently flip over to brown the other. 
  
  The meat balls will take approximately 4 – 5 minutes on each side.  Remove the meat balls from the pan and set aside.
• In the same pot, add the fennel, onion, garlic and crushed pepper flakes (if you like a little heat) and saute until tender and translucent- approximately 7-10 minutes.
• Add the beans, tomatoes and lemon juice.  Stir gently to incorporate.
• Heat up the chicken stock in a separate container and add to the vegetable mixture.  Adjust the heat to low – just at the simmer point.  Add the kale and simmer uncovered until the kale is tender – approximately 30 minutes.
• Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Notes

• You can serve this soup with a few shavings of fresh Parmesan cheese and a crusty roll; however, it stands on its own quite well.
• Time saver tip: The tiny meatballs are fun and elegant, but if you’re short on time, precook the two Italian sausages in their skins. Allow to cool completely before slicing and adding to the soup.
• Freezes well. This recipe for Tuscan Kale and Cannellini soup makes a large pot, but it freezes well so you can enjoy it later in the season.