Pumpkin Sausage Soup with Kale and White Beans

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 1 35

Total Time: 1 40

Servings: servings

Calories: 669kcal

Author: Jazzmine Woodard

Hearty pumpkin soup with a rich, velvety broth made using canned pumpkin puree

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Equipment

1 large Dutch oven or a saucepan with at least six quarts of cap
1 kitchen spoon
1 cutting board
1 knife

Ingredients

1 pound Italian sausage hot or mild
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ onion
6 cloves garlic
1 bunch kale about four ounces
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon rubbed sage
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
sea salt to taste
crushed red pepper to taste
6 cups chicken broth or stock
15 ounces pumpkin puree
¾ cup dry white beans soaked (or 1 ½ cup canned white beans)
1 cup heavy cream at room temperature

Instructions

Cook the Sausage: Add sausage to a Dutch oven or large saucepan oven medium heat and cook until fully cooked, with a slightly crispy crust (about 10 minutes), breaking up the sausage into crumbles as it cooks. Remove the sausage from the pot and add olive oil.
1 pound Italian sausage, 1 tablespoon olive oil
While the sausage cooks, dice the onion, crush the garlic, and tear the kale into bite-sized pieces.
1 bunch kale, ½ onion, 6 cloves garlic
Build the Flavor: Add diced onion to pot with spices and allow to cook in the rendered sausage fat until onions start to turn translucent and are fragrant (about four minutes). Add in garlic and cook for one minute more.
1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon rubbed sage, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, sea salt, crushed red pepper
Assemble the Soup: Stir in the chicken broth and pumpkin puree, then add white beans, increase heat to medium-high, and bring the liquid to a gentle boil.
*If you're using canned or pre-cooked beans, add them with the kale and heavy cream in the next step (Step 5) instead.
6 cups chicken broth, 15 ounces pumpkin puree, ¾ cup dry white beans
Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and let simmer for an hour. Stir in the kale and heavy cream, then continue cooking for another 20 minutes or until beans are tender and kale is wilted.
*If using canned beans, reduce the simmer time to 20-30 minutes.
1 cup heavy cream
Finish and Serve: Add sausage back to the pot, taste test, and adjust seasonings as needed. Let cook for another five minutes to warm the sausage back up, then serve.

Notes

Modifications

To avoid pork, you can use ground chicken, turkey, or beef, and up the seasoning a bit. Or if Italian sausage is not available to you, try andouille, kielbasa, or chorizo--just note that the flavor will be different.

Use any kind of white beans you like. I used Great Northern beans here, but you could instead use Cannelini, Lupini, or Navy beans.

Want to make this dish more veggie-forward? Try mixing in sliced mushrooms, diced carrots, broccoli, or peas to increase fiber without changing the taste.

To make this recipe dairy-free, use a plant-based cream alternative like full-fat coconut milk. And use vegetable broth and a vegan protein to make it vegan.

Storage

To store, cool the soup to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate. Lasts for up to five days.

To freeze, cool the soup to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight, freezer-safe container, leaving at least one inch of space at the top. Keeps for up to three months once frozen.

Nutrition