Ingredients:

  • 1 lb Mild or Hot Italian Sausage, casings removed
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 2 medium carrots, diced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cans (15 oz each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 6 cups chicken bone broth
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 200g Lacinato kale, stems removed and chopped
  • 1 Parmesan rind
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • Salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. Heat olive oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the Italian sausage, breaking it into small crumbles with a wooden spoon. Cook for 5-7 minutes until deeply browned and crispy, allowing a fond to develop on the bottom of the pot.
  2. Reduce heat to medium. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5-6 minutes until the vegetables soften and the onions become translucent.
  3. Stir in the minced garlic, dried oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.
  4. Pour in the chicken bone broth. Use your wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot to release the caramelized brown bits (fond).
  5. Add the drained cannellini beans and the Parmesan rind. Take a potato masher and lightly crush about 1/4 of the beans directly in the pot to release starches and thicken the broth.
  6. Bring the soup to a simmer. Add the chopped kale and cook for 3-5 minutes until the kale is tender.
  7. Remove the Parmesan rind. Stir in the fresh lemon juice and grated Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and black pepper to taste and serve hot.