sausage, white bean, and potato soup

wow, ok.

think of this as a peace offering and apology tied up with crisp paper and packaged with a neat little delicious bow. if anyone is keeping track, my on again off again love-hate affair with recipes broke up for almost a year to the date, but like any good relationship, i took some time away and got the space i needed and am back fully committed, swinging, and ready to dive into 2023 with some good, good goods.

since we last chatted i hiked on some rocks in arizona, got a dog, sailed on the iberian peninsula and ate too many (…not enough?) francesinhas in portugal, drank a lot of cheap beer, read a lot of books, made some big girl boundaries around my mental health, got married (yes way!!), and set my sights on a big full year with small and huge joys. how are you? what are you looking forward to?

while we chat, let’s cook!

i’ve got a big pot of sausage, white bean, and potato soup for you and yours today, and it’s the perfect recipe for when we’re coming down from the holidays and much exerted effort to guide us gently back into a kitchen routine. it’s easy, it’s fulfilling and filling, and mostly it’s super tasty. it’s one of those meals that feels like a hug, which i’m going to file under the assumption that we all probably need now and always.

this soup is very much a kitchen basics dish - meat, potatoes, broth, hearty veggies - things you probably have in the fridge that are extra extra yummy when they all get together. i love adding fresh herbs and citrus to soups to brighten them up, and this one shines with some woodsy sage leaves and a spritz of lemon.

i’m so excited for you to get this one into the rotation - and happy dancing to be back in this space. let’s get to it!

a few things before we get started:
- this soup is hearty, cozy, and back to basics. it’s pretty no-frills and uncomplicated, just the way we like it.
- you can substitute the kale for spinach or omit entirely if that’s not your jam!
- you can also substitute the ground sausage for coin sausage or ground pork - I haven’t tested this, but any option will work beautifully.
- this soup keeps really, really well and truly becomes more delicious every time.

sausage, white bean, and potato soup
makes: 4 servings
prep time: 5 minutes
cook time: 60 minutes

6c broth or stock
1lb ground italian sausage (sweet or spicy works here)
1/2 an onion, diced
3 large carrots, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2c or 1/2lb of baby potatoes, quartered
16oz can of cannelini or white beans, drained and rinsed
4c kale, shredded
1tsp olive oil
1tsp dried sage
2tsp salt
2tsp black pepper
juice of 1 lemon
fresh sage and parmesan cheese for topping, optional but encouraged

in a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the sausage, onion, carrots, and garlic. add the dried sage, salt, and pepper. work to break up the sausage into crumbles, and sauce for 5-8 minutes until the onions begin to cook down and the sausage browns.

add the broth and potatoes, and lower the heat to a simmer. simmer the soup until the potatoes start to soften, about 30-40 minutes. add the beans, kale, and lemon, and stir in.

top each bowl of soup with fresh sage and parmesan when serving.