Mediterranean Kale & White Bean Soup With Sausage

Another wonderful weekend has come and gone, and with it came our first real snow of the season! Well, that's misleading. Snow fell from the sky. Did it accumulate? You can decide that for yourself:

Yes, at 1am, we decided we needed to go out and play!

Nothing says "hearty soup" like cold, blustery weather. And with the wind banging at my window as I sit and type this, I'd say this weather falls into that very category. This soup was ridiculously easy to put together, and I like that it's using the seasonal greens and root vegetables that are so abundant right now. Think how much iron you get with every bite!

Mediterranean Kale & White Bean Soup With Sausage

Adapted from Food.Com

Ingredients:
4 links of chicken sausage sausage, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 medium carrots, cut into small dice
5-6 large garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
6-8 cups low-sodium chicken broth (I had to up to 8 cups)
1 can or 2 cups cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 lb kale, rinsed, stems removed, leaves torn into bite-sized pieces (8 cups firmly packed)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Directions:
Heat the oil in a 4 or 5-quart heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and beginning to soften, about 2 minutes.

Add the carrots 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, salt & black 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 the beans.

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. (I cover the pot loosely during this step to prevent too much reduction in the broth).

Stir in the lemon juice and zest just before serving.