A hearty soup, packed with loads of great vegetables. A high quality Italian sausage is what really makes this soup.
Ingredients
- 5 strips of bacon (thick cut works best)
- 16-oz. package Italian sausage
- 4 Tbsp. butter
- 1 medium onion, cut into ½-inch dice
- 4 celery stalks, cut into ½-inch dice
- 4 carrots, cut into ½-inch dice
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup flour
- 6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 lb. red potatoes, cut into ½-inch dice
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 small bunch kale, destemmed and torn into bite-size pieces
- 1 cup heavy cream
Directions
Cut the bacon into small pieces (using kitchen shears or a knife) and place in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook until bacon starts to get crispy. Take the sausages out of their casings and add to the pot. Cook sausage, breaking into bite-size pieces, stirring occasionally, until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove bacon and sausage to a bowl and set aside.
Add the butter to the pot and melt over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and the vegetables are slightly softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
Add the broth, potatoes, sausage, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
Stir in the kale and cream; simmer until kale is wilted, about 5 minutes.
Yield
8 servings