It’s still soup season, although it’s fair to say soup is welcomed pretty much the year round here in the Bay Area. We’ve had record cold days lately and we’re enjoying this simple and satisfying soup, especially at lunchtime.
We enjoy it for lunch since it comes together with just a few ingredients you may already have on hand. It’s ready in about 30 minutes, or less, from chopping to serving.
My pantry always has both low-sodium chicken stock or broth and canned beans on the shelves. Similarly, I always keep a few varieties of fully cooked sausage on hand. The ones I buy are vacuum packed so store well in the refrigerator and enjoy a longer life in the freezer. Having these on hand mean I have myriad options for pulling together a tasty meal in short order.
Don’t be shy about “doctoring” a store-bought broth. Adding aromatics (onion, garlic, leeks, ginger), fresh or dried herbs, and spices is pretty much mandatory for a soup of any cuisine. For this soup a bay leaf, oregano and thyme would be delicious additions.
Playing with using different sausages, beans, and greens is highly encouraged. Adding cubes of butternut squash would be right in line too.
I highly recommend adding a crunch-factor in the form of croutons to bring a tasty, textual component. Making your own is easy and fair warning, you may not ever go back to store-bought once you’ve. tasted freshly made straight out of the pan.
Italian Sausage and Garbanzo Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 2 links Italian sausage fully cooked, sliced lengthwise then cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 can garbanzo beans rinsed and drained
- 2 cups lacinato kale sliced into 12-inch strips. Substituting with any hearty green is fine.
- 1 small white onion diced, about 3/4-cup
- 3/4 cup fresh tomato diced. Substituting canned, diced tomatoes is fine.
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 quart chicken broth preferably homemade, but use low-sodium if store-bought
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- red chile flakes to taste
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a 3-quart saucepan for about one minute, add the sliced Italian sausage and spread into a single layer. Let brown slightly, then turn to brown the second side, about 3 – 4 minutes. Add the diced onion and minced garlic and stir to combine. Continue cooking over medium heat until the onion turns translucent. Do not over brown, be especially watchful of the garlic.
- Add the diced tomatoes, garbanzo beans and chicken broth. Bring to a gentle boil for at least five minutes to cook the tomatoes. Add the kale and cook until just wilted. Taste and season to accordingly.
Easy Homemade Croutons
- Easy croutons: This soup is rustic and begs for big, crunchy croutons atop to provide a textural contrast. For one cup of rustic croutons, simply hand pull 1/ 2 – 1-inch chunks of bread from your favorite loaf and toss in about 1 – 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add salt or other seasonings as desired.
