It's been cold. In fact, it's been downright freezing and I've been mostly living under a blanket...and several layers of sweaters and socks. But since I'm sure everyone is tired of hearing about the cold weather and I can't live under a blanket forever, I present to you a solution: a soul-warming, healthy, easy and quick soup! 

This soup is my absolute favorite. I love making a huge batch and freezing the extras for days when I'm feeling cold and/or don't have the to time to cook dinner. This soup is also very forgiving - you don't need to have exactly 30 oz. of beans or 5 cups of kale. Also, you can nix the sausage altogether and swap the chicken stock for vegetable for a great vegetarian dish. In the future, I'd love to try this using a Parmesan Broth in place of the stock!

Kale, White Bean and Sausage Soup

Yield: 6 servings | Prep time: 5 minutes | Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of kale, about 5 cups
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 30 oz. canned cannellini beans or Great Northern beans
• 4 cups water
• 3 cups chicken stock
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
• ~9 oz. sausage sliced - I used 3 Johnsonville 3 Cheese Chicken Sausages (optional)

Directions:

1. Remove stems from kale, then tear the kale into 1/2-inch strips.
2. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add olive oil (enough to coat the pan). Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Add minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
4. Add water and stock and bring to a boil.
5. Stir in beans, kale and sausage. Partially cover the pot, reduce heat and allow to simmer until kale is tender, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with grated Parmesan (if desired).

And here it is!

Enjoy and thanks for reading!