White Bean and Kale Soup with Smoked Sausage

The other day a friend of mine asked me if I could share a recipe for a white bean and kale soup with sausage.  So yesterday it was snowing outside.  It never snows in Alabama.  Just the other day I was wearing shorts.  Its crazy how quickly the weather changed, but it gave me a perfect excuse to make this soup. 

The snow was actually very beautiful.  While the soup simmered I walked out in the backyard and snapped this picture. 

White Bean and Kale Soup with Smoked Sausage

1 lb smoked sausage, sliced into bite sized pieces

2 bunches of kale, tough stems removed and chopped

2 cans cannellini, drained and rinsed

10 cups chicken broth
3 carrots, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

1 onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
2-3 pieces of cheese rind, I used Parmesan **
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

In a large dutch oven over a medium flame  add 2 tbs of olive oil.  Then add the smoked sausage.  Cook the sausage until it is browned.  Then add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, and bay leaves.  Season the vegetables with salt and pepper.  Saute until the vegetables start to get soft about 7 - 10 minutes.  Then add the kale.  Let the kale cook down.  Then add the cannellini beans and the chicken broth.  Add the cheese rinds and bring to a simmer.  Let the soup simmer for 1 hour.  Stir in the red wine vinegar.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.

**If you don't have any cheese rinds, you can just mix about 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese into the soup.  The flavor will be the same.

I know you may think it seems odd to add vinegar to the soup, but I never eat any greans without vinegar on them.  The vinegar really brightens up the flavor of the soup.  This soup is very simple and delicious.  Its perfect for a snowy day.