Ingredients
- ½ lb Bratwurst sausage (2 links)
- 2 Tbs olive oil
- ½ small yellow onion, diced
- 1 medium carrot, diced
- 1 rib celery, diced
- 5 large cloves garlic, minced (about 2 Tbs)
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cups chicken broth (or 4 teaspoons chicken bouillon and 4 cups water)
- 1 can cannellini or great northern beans, with liquid
- 10 oz kale (1 bag) or using whole leaves — rinsed, stems removed, leaves torn into bite-size pieces (8 cups firmly packed)
- 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice (optional – but adds “brightness”)
Preparation
- Remove the sausage from its casing and tear it by hand into bite-size pieces. Heat 1 Tbs of the olive oil in a 4- or 5-quart heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a plate, leaving any rendered fat in the pot.
Money saving tip: If you intend to cook this often (as we do), you can start with our ground beef (not the sausage) and add the bratwurst seasoning. Combine ½ lb ground beef with 2 teaspoons of Legg’s #104 Bratwurst Seasoning (if you’re in a hurry, just brown the beef with the spices sprinkled on top). Flatten the ground beef mixture in your heated fry pan, and as it browns, cut it into little squares with a spatula. You won’t need the olive oil, just leave the rendered fat in the pan to saute the onions, etc. [The 11 Ounce package of Legg #104 provides enough spices for 25 pounds of ground beef, or 50 recipes of the soup. The Legg’s #104 Bratwurst Seasoning is available on our online order form for $5/bag, or you can order it from Amazon for $8/bag.]
- Add the remaining 1 Tbs olive oil to the pot, increase the heat to medium high, and add the onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and onions begin to soften, (about 2 minutes). Add the carrot and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to soften and brown, about 2 minutes more. Be sure to scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the garlic, pepper flakes, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil over high heat.
- When the broth reaches a boil, reduce the heat to medium, add the sausage along with any collected juices, and the beans stirring to distribute. Stir in the kale, adjust the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer, and simmer until the kale is tender (15 to 20 minutes). Stir in the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.
