Sausage, Lentil & Kale Soup

• Did you know that In Italy, lentils are a traditional accompaniment for pork sausages, and are also a required item on New Year's Eve (or day) menus; their shape brings to mind tiny coins and people eat them in the hope that they won't want for cash during the rest of the year!

I don't know about you, but I could really use this good luck, so I plan on eating my way into the New Year with a diet full of lentils! This soup is the perfect way to start it, too!  Not only does it have lentils, but spicy sausage and the amazingly delicious and nutritious kale!  One of my all-time favorite leafy veggies!  Enjoy and have a Happy coin-filled New Year!

• {sausage, lentil & kale soup}
•      Serves 4.
• 1 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• 1 lb. bulk hot Italian sausage
• 1 C. lentils
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 to 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 8oz. mushrooms, wiped clean and thinly sliced (I used 2oz. shitake I re-hydrated in the soup this time & love the meatiness they provide!)
• 1 large baking potato, peeled and diced
• 2 sprigs rosemary, leaves removed and chopped
• 3 to 4 sprigs thyme, leaves removed
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1/4 C. tomato paste
• 4 C. chicken stock (use 5 if you prefer a little more soupy, like me)
• 3 C. water
• 1 bunch kale, thick stems removed and discarded, leaves shredded

Place a large soup pot over medium-high heat. add olive oil. Once hot, add the sausage and sauté for 3-4 minutes, breaking it up into small pieces with the back of a spoon or a potato masher as it cooks and browns.

While the sausage is browning, pour the lentils out onto a light-colored plate and sift through them. Discard any small stones -- sometimes you find them sometimes you don't, but better safe than sorry.

To the browned sausage, add the onion, garlic, mushrooms, potato, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper and the tomato paste. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes.

Add the stock and 3 cups of water, turn the heat up to high and bring up to a bubble. Add the lentils and the kale, stir until the kale wilts in then turn the heat down to medium and simmer 40-50 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Serve warm.

Quick Sausage, Bean and Spinach Stew

stock photo courtesy of Women's Day Magazine

I don't often cook on Sundays, opting instead for sammies (sandwiches) or leftovers.  Today was another story.  Not only did I get TONS of extra produce in my Bountiful Baskets selection this week, I also got the hostess pack which in itself seemed like a full second basket!  So, this family of five that usually goes thru a basket a week, now has a TON more!  I'm excited for the challenge to make even more fresh family friendly meals ... all before anything goes bad!  Bring it on!  

I found this recipe when I was trying to kill time at one of my many doctor visits.  I liked a lot of the recipes in there, so took a snapshot of the magazine front and just recently remembered to pick it up at my local library.  Boy am I glad I remembered. 

Not only was this recipe FAST and EASY, it's delicious, too!   Perfect!  I worried that my kids wouldn't like the spinach in the stew, but my drama-filled 7 year-old happily ate the spinach singing "I'm Popeye the Sailor Girl! Toot Toot!".  No lie! My 4 year-old gobbled up the sausage.  All in all, it was a smashing hit!  Everyone gave two thumbs up. Mom and Dad had seconds and there were ZERO leftovers! Success!!!

You can definitely change this up easily adding a twist of variety using different sausage varieties as I did, or by using a different shaped pasta.  Use what you have on hand...that's the beauty of this recipe!  It's incredibly VERSATILE! 

{sausage, bean and spinach stew}

1 Tbsp olive oil
12 oz ground sausage
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 32-oz container low-sodium chicken broth (A MUST! otherwise too salty with the sausage)
Water-amount depends on how soupy you want it
4 oz ditalini pasta or other soup pasta (about 1 cup)
1 15.5-oz can cannellini or other white beans, rinsed
Black pepper
1 10-oz bag spinach, thick stems removed (I used one bunch and would have preferred two)
1 oz Parmesan, grated (about 1/4 cup)

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and rinse fat off and return to pan.
2. Add the garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, for 1 minute (do not let it brown). Add the 1/2 c. broth and simmer, scraping up any brown bits, for 1 minute.
3. Add the 32oz. broth and pasta and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the pasta is just tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Add the beans and 1/4 tsp pepper and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add extra water and the spinach, stirring gently until it begins to wilt. Serve with the Parmesan.

{link to recipe on Women's Day website}

Zuppa Toscana

I know.  I know.  It's getting warmer outside, turning into Spring even, but I still {HEART} soups.  I'm a year-round soup eater.  This soup.  It has to be one of my all-time favorites, too.  I first fell in love with it at Olive Garden.  Then a couple of years ago my Sister-in-Law introduced me to kale.  It's been love ever since.  I {HEART} kale!  What's so awesome about this soup is how incredibly easy it is and how amazing the flavors are!  It tastes EXACTLY the same as Olive Garden's version.  Normally it wouldn't be purple, either.  I substituted Salad Savoy I got one week from my Bountiful Baskets Co-op Produce basket since they're basically in the same family...and it just brightened my soup up, too!


{zuppa toscana}
1 lb ground Italian sausage
1½ tsp crushed red peppers
1 large diced white onion
4 Tbsp bacon pieces
2 tsp garlic puree
10 cups water
5 cubes of chicken bouillon
1 cup heavy cream
1 lb sliced Russet potatoes, or about 3 large potatoes
¼ of a bunch of kale

1. Sauté Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in a large pot. Drain excess fat, refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients.
2. In the same pan, sauté bacon, onions and garlic over low-medium heat for approximately 15 mins. or until the onions are soft.
3. Add chicken bouillon and water to the pot and heat until it starts to boil.
4. Add the sliced potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour.
5. Add the heavy cream and just cook until thoroughly heated.
6. Stir in the sausage and the kale, let all heat through and serve. Delicious!

Serves 6-8.

{Photos of step-by-step directions}

Rustic Italian Tortellini Soup

I think I'm in the mood for soups lately.  They all look and taste so delicious!  I file recipes away once I like them and forget to pull them back out until I've stuck myself in a rut like I was in last week.  Well, this one is a BIG winner!  A touch spicy, full of robust flavor and definitely qualifies for comfort food.  The best part is how fast and EASY it is to make and how incredible the flavor is in comparison.  You're going to love it!

Rustic Italian Tortellini Soup

3 Italian Turkey Sausage Links (4 oz. each), casings removed (I used the roasted red pepper chicken sausage links from Costco-1lb.)

1 medium onion, chopped

6 garlic cloves, minced

2 -14 1/2 oz cans chicken broth
1 3/4 c. water
1 can great northern beans, drained
1 -14 1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 package (9oz.) refrigerated cheese tortellini
1 -6oz. package fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped

2 1/4 tsp. minced fresh basil or 3/4 tsp dried.

1/4 tsp. pepper
Dash Crushed red pepper flakes
Shredded parmesan cheese, optional

Crumble (or thinly slice) sausage into a Dutch oven; add onion. Cook and stir over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Add the broth, water and tomatoes and bean. Bring to a boil.

Stir in tortellini; return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 5-8 minutes or until tortellini are tender, stirring occasionally. Add spinach, basil, pepper and pepper flakes; cook 2-3 min longer or until spinach is wilted. Serve with cheese if desired.

Serves 7.

Penne Pasta with Spicy Sausage & Cheesey Garlic Bread

Confession time. I'm a Food Network Junkie. Okay, there. I said it! Though, I don't think my confession to you all will help wean me off that channel any time soon.

My latest recipe I found while watching "Sandra's Money Saving Meals" on Sunday morning (recipe link below last photo). As she was making everything, I couldn't stop DROOLING! I also knew, that this was something that would win the heart (and somach) of my dear hubby...and it did...as well as the rest of my brood. We all scarfed this one down despite the heat from the red pepper flakes (I even used 1/2 of what it called for)! Thankfully, we LOVE spicy foods!

While we were enjoying this delicious meal, I couldn't help but observe how similar it was to something we would order at some fancy Italian restaurant. Well! NO more! This one makes restaurant night at home so do-able and even more affordable!

I don't know about you, but for us, what makes an italian meal come together is the bread. Whether it be a breadstick or a roll or a loaf. There's something about eating Italian that just screams for a bread side, like we really even need it with all the pasta carbs, right!?

Well, in the true spirit of our Italian Restaurant meal, I made a Cheesy Garlic Bread to go with our pasta. In Sandra's recipe, she says to get a store-bought loaf of garlic bread. I didn't. I have so many loaves of Cibatta bread waiting to be used in my freezer that what I did was make a garlic butter spread and then finish with the rest of Sandra's recipe directions.

No matter what you try, you will LOVE this! I know for certain, this meal will become a regular in our menu schedule!!!

Garlic Butter Spread
1/2 stick butter, at room temperature
4 cloves of garlic, or to taste (I LOVE garlic so I could probably have done even more!), grated

Combine well. Spread lightly on bread.



Penne Pasta with Spicy Sausage & Cheesy Garlic Bread Recipe