Cooking from the Pantry - Kale & White Bean Soup

Fresh Kale lends a taste of summer’s bounty to this lightened soup.  Aromatic vegetables such as turnips, garlic, onions and bell peppers together with cannellini beans and lean chicken sausage meatballs; add great flavor and plenty of vitamins while keeping the fat in check. What a wonderful way to eat your vegetables!

Ingredients

• 6 links Chicken Sausage (casing remove and make meat balls)
• ½ each Bell Peppers – Red, Yellow, Orange (diced)
• 4 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 1 large Turnip, diced
• 1 32 oz. Chicken Broth – low sodium and fat free
• 1 14.5 oz. can Cannellini Beans (rinsed and drain)
• 1 bunch of Kale ( about 1 pound – stems removed and chopped)
• 1 medium Onion – diced
• Olive oil for sautéing
• Salt and pepper
• chopped scallions for garnish
• shredded parmesan cheese for garnish (optional) 

Steps

1. Make the sausage meat balls – take one sausage link and twist to squeeze the sausage meat out of the casing and mold 1” meat balls with your hands.  Each link should yield about 5 – 6 meat balls.  Place on a plate until ready to cook.
2. In a medium skillet over medium heat, add one teaspoon of olive oil and add meat balls.  Sear on all sides (this should take about 3 minutes.)  Then remove and set aside.
3. In large soup pot, over medium heat add a little olive oil then add onions and garlic.  Sauté until onions and garlic are tender.
4. Add chicken broth and 1 cup of water to sauté onions and garlic.  Then bell peppers, diced turnips, cannellini beans, and kale.  Season with salt and pepper to taste, reduce heat and let simmer for about 5 - 8 minutes. 
5. Add sausage meat balls and let simmer another 2 – 3 minutes.  Serve soup – garnish with fresh chopped scallions and shredded cheese if desired.