Tag: greens

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Sausage, Kale and Veggie Soup {Low Carb / Keto}

Sausage-Kale-Veggie-Soup

Whenever it’s cold outside, I crave a big pot of #soup or stew to warm my bones and forget that its Winter outside…I’m used to the NY Winters I grew up with, but down here in Florida it’s a little crazy for it to be so chilly right now!

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So I made a big pot of this #delicious Sausage, Kale and Veggie Soup, which seemed perfect for a major binge-watching session of Bridgerton on Netflix. (Have you seen it yet!? #OMG I am in #love with that show! No time for a full review here but I’ll talk more about that later in my Winter #2021 Things I Love post coming up next week..A must see if you like historical dramas!)

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Not only is this soup super comforting, but it’s #healthy, #lowcarb and #keto-friendly and quite filling too! I made it with some spicy ground Italian sausage (you can also use sweet sausage instead if you like less heat), a few big handfuls of fresh baby kale, and sautéed lots of fresh veggies too – carrots, celery, garlic, onions, parsley and zucchini. Then I simmered it all together with some beef broth, Everglades seasoning, Italian seasoning, olive oil + red pepper flakes into a big pot of goodness.

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I topped it off with more fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese and went. to. TOWN. And of course served it with a glass of crisp white wine to go with.

Feel free to substitute #vegan sausage, white cannellini beans, sliced baby Bella mushrooms, a few halved baby potatoes or cauliflower florets / cauliflower rice instead of the Italian sausage if you want to make the soup #vegan or #vegetarian…but you might want to add more seasonings and a little more olive oil if not using sausage to amp up the flavors. You can also use ground turkey or chicken instead of sausage if you prefer… (not vegetarian but a little healthier and less fat). And it’s just as delicious with chicken broth or veggie broth too.

Anyway you make it, I hope you enjoy and stay warm! What better way to spend a weekend afternoon than a good show and some comfy soup? 🙂

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Sausage + Kale Veggie Soup

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: Serves 8

Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups

This is a super delicious and comforting soup for the Winter made with Italian Sausage, Baby Kale, and lots of veggies like carrots, celery, garlic, onions, and zucchini all simmered together into a big pot of goodness. Topped with fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese - all you need is some crusty Italian bread and a glass of crisp white wine to make it a healthy meal. Enjoy!

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 pound ground Italian sausage (sweet or spicy)
  • 2 carrots, chopped or sliced
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • Sea salt and pepper, to taste
  • 5 cups beef broth (or chicken or vegetable)
  • 1 zucchini, halved and sliced
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Everglades seasoning (or seasoned salt)
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 2-3 cups fresh baby kale, shredded
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped, plus extra for garnish
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish

Instructions

  1. Sauté 1 pound ground Italian sausage in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven for about 5 minutes until sausage was no longer pink; remove from pot with a slotted spoon into a mixing bowl.
  2. Add the carrots, onion, celery, and garlic into the same pot with additional tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper (to taste), and cook for another 5 minutes until veggies are soft.
  3. Add the cooked sausage back in to the pot and add the broth, sliced zucchini, Everglades seasoning (or seasoned salt), garlic powder, red pepper flakes (if using), tomato paste, Italian seasoning; bring soup to a boil.
  4. Reduce heat and simmer the soup over medium-low heat for 10-15 mins. Add two large handfuls of fresh baby kale (about 2-3 large cups), and chopped fresh parsley; simmer another 5-10 mins until the kale is wilted.
  5. Stir in 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese at the end and serve hot with a little more cheese on top. Garnish with additional fresh parsley and serve with a glass of wine and crusty Italian bread, if desired.

Notes

You can sub vegan sausage, white cannellini beans, sliced baby Bella mushrooms, a few halved baby potatoes or cauliflower florets/rice instead of sausage to make it vegetarian...you might want to add more seasonings to taste, and add a little more olive oil if not using sausage for amped up flavors.

You can also use ground turkey or chicken instead of sausage if you prefer. (not vegetarian but a little healthier and less fat).

https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2021/01/sausage-kale-and-veggie-soup-low-carb-keto/

More soup recipes you may enjoy: 

Classic Minestrone Soup

French Lentil Vegetable Soup

Veggie and Bean Soup

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Chicken Meatball Soup with Kale, Chickpeas & Orzo

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There’s nothing better than a big pot of soup in the Winter – and this has been the longest one..ever. I’ve always loved my Gram’s Minestrone soup – chock full of veggies, ground beef and pasta and thought I would make a spin on it by making it a combination of her Minestrone and Italian Wedding Soup just for fun. I made a batch of chicken meatballs with lots of parmesan cheese, garlic, onion and fresh parsley..browned them up a bit before adding some kale, carrots, chickpeas, chopped tomatoes and orzo and let it all simmer up into a big batch of healthy, heartwarming goodness. I topped it off with some extra grated parmesan, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper and mopped it up with some fresh baked Italian Rosemary bread from Todaro Bros. down the street.

Who says you can’t have some fun during a blizzard? I’m happy as a clam right now. Or as a meatball, bathing in that gorgeous broth with veggies.

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Chicken Meatball Soup with Kale, Chickpeas & Orzo

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Yield: 8

Ingredients

  • Chicken Meatballs:
  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs (plain, dried)
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 egg, whisked
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon minced dried onion
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon Tony Chacere's Creole Seasoning (or sub seasoned salt or poultry seasoning)
  • pinch of cayenne
  • pinch of nutmeg
  • dash of red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon Deliciously Dill Blend (The Spice Hunter)
  • Sea salt
  • Fresh ground black pepper
  • Soup:
  • 2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 20 baby carrots, sliced 1/4 inch thick
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups water (use 3 or 4 if you like a thinner soup)
  • 1 (28 ounce) can chopped Italian tomatoes
  • 1 bunch kale, torn (ribs and stems removed)
  • 1 can chickpeas
  • 1 cup orzo or other small pasta (ditalini, pastina, risi or stars)

Instructions

  1. Make the meatballs:
  2. Preheat a dutch oven over medium heat and spray with some cooking oil.
  3. Add all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and stir. Mix together well with your hands and roll into small meatballs (about 1 1/2 inch size), place on a baking sheet or plate.
  4. Brown meatballs in batches for about 6-8 minutes until lightly golden brown (but not cooked all the way through).
  5. Remove meatballs, cover and set aside while prepping soup ingredients.
  6. Make the soup:
  7. Add additional 2 tablespoons of oil to the Dutch oven and saute onions, garlic and carrots for about 6 minutes until soft and translucent.
  8. Stir in broth, water, and tomatoes; cook over medium-high for about 5-7 minutes until liquid comes to a boil.
  9. Add kale, chickpeas, orzo to the pot, let soup come to a steady rolling boil for about 5 mins or so.
  10. Add browned meatballs, cover and let simmer for about 20-30 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until orzo and meatballs are cooked through. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.
  11. Serve in large soup bowls topped with additional grated parmesan cheese and fresh chopped parsley for garnish and a side of crusty Italian bread or Rosemary Foccacia bread for mopping up the soup.
  12. Don't forget the wine, fireplace, and your Valentine to make it a complete meal.
https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2014/02/chicken-meatball-soup-kale-chickpeas-orzo/

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Recipe adapted from my Grandma’s Classic Minestrone Soup and Italian Wedding Soup by Whole Foods.

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Garlicky Greens and Beans with Sausage

Garlicky Greens & Beans with Sausage

Garlicky Greens and Beans

On a recent trip up to Rochester, I had the pleasure of discovering a lovely little Italian place called the Mona Lisa Café. My mother and I stopped in there on a whim one afternoon for a cappuccino, but after entering the café and seeing all the delicious pastries and gelato and enticing smells of amazing food, we decided to stay for lunch instead.

We sat at a table by a large window and enjoyed a glass of wine while perusing the menu. At first we thought we would just split an appetizer, but there were just too many tasty choices on the menu to settle for just one item. We opted for a delicious Italian Panini and their amazing Greens and Beans appetizer made with escarole and cannelloni beans sautéed with heaps of garlic, savory Italian sausage, white wine, olive oil and bread crumbs topped with Parmesan cheese. WOW. Best thing I’ve ever tasted! I loved this dish so much I was inspired to recreate it at home, and my own version of Garlicky Greens and Beans with Sausage I now present to you. Delicioso!

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Garlicky Greens and Beans with Sausage

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Serving Size: 4-6

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Fingerling potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters or chunks
  • 1 1/4 pound sweet Italian sausage (may use chicken or turkey sausage if you prefer)
  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 6 garlic cloves, sliced or chopped fine
  • 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
  • 1 large bunch of greens (I used collards, but you can use spinach, kale, escarole, or mustard/turnip greens)
  • 1 can white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus extra for garnish
  • Crusty bread or garlic bread, for dipping

Instructions

  1. Rinse and drain potatoes, cut into quarters or chunks, depending on the size.
  2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook potatoes for about 10-12 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside.
  3. At the same time, add 1/2 inch of water to a large saute pan over medium heat. Add sausages to and cover with a lid, simmering for 10 minutes (without turning). Remove the lid, turn sausages over, and cook for another 5 minutes until almost cooked through.
  4. Meanwhile, measure out your liquids and dry seasonings and set aside.
  5. Chop the garlic.
  6. Wash the greens well and drain. Remove and discard the veins and stems, cutting leafy green parts off on either side into 1-inch strips.
  7. Remove sausages from pan and cut into coin-sized chunks. Drain fat from pan and wipe down.
  8. Add 1 tablespoon of oil into the same pan and return to medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, and saute while stirring often, for about 1 minute being careful not to burn garlic.
  9. Add additional 3 tablespoons of oil and start sauteing greens by the handful until they are just starting to wilt.
  10. Add cannellini beans, sausage, potatoes, broth, water and minced onion; bring ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer on low for 10-15 minutes to let the flavors meld.
  11. Remove lid, add 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar, and let simmer for another 5 minutes or so until the liquid reduces a little (you can simmer it down longer if you like a thicker stew or add more broth/water if you like a thinner stew).
  12. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  13. Serve the Greens and Beans in large bowls topped with shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and crusty bread for dipping in the broth.
  14. Delicioso!

Notes

Substitute sweet Italian sausage with chicken or turkey sausage or omit all together and adjust water/broth down to 2 cups if you prefer a vegetarian dish.

Mona Lisa Cafe uses breadcrumbs and white wine in their dish which I omitted in my version because of the starch from the potatoes and adding a splash of white wine vinegar which gives it a nice tangy flavor to the broth. Feel free to experiment by topping it with toasted breadcrumbs and using some wine in place of the water in my recipe, but you'll need to adjust the amount of liquids down if you omit the potatoes from the dish so it's not too watery/brothy. The consistency should be of a nice light stew with a balance between the meat and vegetables and the broth.

Serve with a dry white Italian wine such as Pinot Grigio and crusty bread for dipping up the broth.

https://www.theartfulgourmet.com/2013/04/garlicky-greens-and-beans-with-sausage/

Garlicky Greens and Beans

Other recipes you might enjoy:

Italian Sausage and Kale Soup

White Bean and Escarole Soup with Meatballs

Sausage and Bean Soup with Pasta

Greens and Beans with Sausage

All photographs, copy and content on this post and website are copyright © 2010-2016 Kristen Hess Styling & Photography and The Artful Gourmet. Please do not use, share or distribute in any way without my expressed permission granted or at least with a link back to my original blog post with credit to me. Thanks!

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