Sausage & Bean Soup

I've made variations of this soup over the years; I typically use lentils but a friend mentioned Cannellini beans (white kidney beans) one day, so I immediately decided to give them a shot. Yes, I am just that suggestible. I only wish I was kidding. Also, any reason for beans AND sausage!

You will need:

2 tsp oil (not EVOO ever for cooking!)
1 lb hot Italian turkey sausages, (or mild, should you be a baby. or be feeding a baby)
1/4 tsp chili flakes (see above note re: feeding babies); optional
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, about 1 1/2 c
2 stalks celery
1 c carrots, about 2 medium
4 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp tomato paste
900 ml chicken stock - I am using no-salt-added
1 540 ml can Cannellini beans (aka white kidney beans)
5 c kale (about a small bunch
Salt, pepper, 1 tsp thyme
2 c water

First, prep! Should you have sausages that have a casing, remove it. Otherwise, it's easier to cook them whole and slice up after. Dice your celery, chop your carrots, mince your garlic. To prep your leeks, first you want to slice off the dark green tops (save for stock!) and cut the white and light green parts into 3 inch chunks, about like zo:

Slice them lengthwise and rinse the layers under running water. You would not believe the crud that gets in there. King Crud of Crudtown has set up shop there, you need to wash that crud right out of your food. Crud.dy.

Cut each half lengthwise three to four times, depending on width, and dice finely.

People always ask why leeks instead of onions (okay, my mom always asks); I just like the different nuances of flavour that leeks have. Milder, but warmer. Man, I sound like a food hippie. Namaste, betches! Cut your kale into ribbons; I find the easiest way to get the spine off the leaves is to run a paring knife along the hardest part.

Prep all done!

Now we begin: heat the oil in a large Dutch oven, add in the sausages, breaking apart into bite-sized chunks as you go. Unless you have the casing-less sausages, then cook them whole and slice after, reserving juices. I suggest using a flat-edged wooden spoon, but then of course I do. I love them. This is when you could add in the chili flakes, should you want to spice things up.

When the sausages are all browned, remove and set aside somewhere relatively warm. Add the leeks, carrots and celery into the pot, stirring to scrape up any browned sausage bits. Drool. After about 5 minutes, when they feel pretty much softened, add in the garlic and cook for one more minute. Just one!

Stir in the 2 Tbsp tomato paste, salt and pepper. Cook until it darkens and starts to stick to the bottom, 2-3 minutes. Ish.

Dump in the chicken stock, using your flat-edged spoon to scrape any brown stuff off the sides. Oh yes, we want ALLS the fond and flavour in our pot.

Add in the rinsed Cannellini beans, sausages, kale and 1tsp thyme. I read somewhere that the beans won't break down if there is too much salt, I hold off on adding any more s&p until the end. If it seems as though there isn't enough liquid, add up to 2 cups of water, until all is covered. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Check about halfway through, see how the flavour is developing and if the beans are starting to soften. After 20 minutes, add salt and pepper, check your beans. Should be lovely.

This breaks down into 6 big servings, at 262 calories each, which is toadilly awesome. You could add some bread, a glass of milk and be right at or under the recommended 400 - 500 calorie per meal guideline.

Enjoy!

Saturday: Dijon Chicken Chow-Dair

This is not technically a chow-dair, but it has potatoes and I really like to say Chow-dair, so there it is. You have to try this on a day when you have some time. And kale. The Dijon makes this amaz-za-zing. That's right, so good it adds a syllable.

 

You will need:

4 tsp olive oil, divided
2 c sliced leeks (about 4. You could also use one large onion if you prefer)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 c all-purpose unbleached flour
1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
Salt, pepper
1 c white wine (I'm using Fat B&*tard Chardonnay because I like hippos)
3 c chicken stock
1 1/2 c water
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 lb potatoes (not russet)
8 c kale (about a bunch), torn

To do your prep, here are some things to keep in mind. You only want to use the white and light green parts of the leek. The rest of it is very tough and doesn't have any flavour, so not any good for stock. I am always so conflicted about leeks, they add such a nice nuance to the taste, but all the waste! Won't someone please come up with a use for all that greenery??

Anyway, trim the end off the leek, then cut off the white / light green part.

Cut in half.

You would not believe the amount of dirt that can hide in between those layers. Rinse 'em!

The easiest way I have found to deal with kale is to hold onto the end of the stem firmly and run a sharp paring knife down to the top of the leaf. Like scraping it off. Then tear or cut into pieces.

Cut your potatoes and chicken into bite-size pieces, mince your garlic.

 

Back to the soup! Heat one teaspoon of the oil in a large Dutch oven, cook the leeks until golden and softened, about 5-6 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook for another minute, just until you can smell it. Set aside in a large-ish bowl.

Dump your flour into a pie plate, add your chicken pieces and stir until each piece is coated.

 

Add two teaspoons of olive oil to the Dutch oven, cook half of the chicken, sprinkling with salt and pepper, until browned on all sides, 5-6 minutes. Remove to the same bowl with the leek; add last teaspoon of oil to the pan and cook the remaining chicken, also sprinkled with salt and pepper.

 



 

When all of the chicken has browned and has been removed from the Dutch oven, pour in the white wine and scrape up all the crunchy bits on the bottom.

You should have about a tablespoon of flour left over in your pie plate from coating the chicken, add that to one cup of the chicken stock and whisk together.

Add that, the rest of the stock, the 1 1/2 c water and mustard to your Dutch oven, bring to a boil. Watch your lid, the mustard can get a little jumpy.

Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add in the potatoes, re-cover and simmer for yet another 30 minutes. It will totally be worth it! Instant gratification is for the bids! And hungry people.

Stir in the kale, cook for another 10 minutes until it softens. If you cross your eyes a little, kale looks like spinach, but it does not wilt at all the same. 8 cups of spinach reduces to a tablespoon, whereas 8 cups of kale looks just like 8 cups of kale, no matter how long you cook it.

Becoming concerned my pot is too small for the vast amounts of kale

Throw on your red pepper at the end, serve! I portioned mine out to six servings and came up with 334 calories per, which is not bad. I used a couple hundred grams more chicken, so there is that. Another dish with veggies built in, I'll take it.

Enjoy!