As promised, I’m going to start cooking up and sharing a bunch of soup recipes starting now so that everyone is prepared for the long, cold months ahead. I tweaked this recipe for a Tuscan Ribolita (bean and bread) soup, by adding extra kale, less beans, and substituting organic chicken sausage for the Pancetta, and vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

This soup ended up thick, hearty, and full of flavor. It wasn’t quite the same as traditional Ribolita which does not call for any meat, but it is still an easy winter classic.

Ingredients:
-3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
-1 small onion, peeled and chopped
-1 carrot, peeled and chopped
-1 celery stalk, chopped
-4 ounces organic chicken sausage
-1/2 cup olive oil
-1 15-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
-2 15-ounce cans cannellini or great northern beans, drained and rinsed
-2 cups vegetable broth
-1 sprig fresh rosemary
-1 bunch kale, roughly chopped
-1/2 loaf of Italian bread, cut into 1 inch squares
-Grated Pecorino Romano cheese (optional)

Directions:
-In a large pot, sauté the garlic, onion, celery, carrot, and sausage in 2 tblspns of olive oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
-Add the tomatoes with their juices, the beans, broth, and rosemary.
-Simmer, covered, for about an hour (or until the beans break apart)
-Add the kale and cook for 7 more minutes
-Stir in the bread and serve, drizzled with the remaining olive oil and sprinkled with Pecorino Romano cheese.