Minestrone is a robust Italian soup of assorted vegetables and beans – the choices vary from cook to cook and season to season. In this version we use turkey sausage to add flavor and heartiness; we like how it complements the kale and chickpeas.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 40 min |
| Active: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 cups torn sourdough bread, crusts removed
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 links mild Italian turkey sausage (about 6 ounces), casings removed
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 small bunch curly kale, chopped (about 8 cups)
- 1 14.5-ounce can petite diced tomatoes
- 1 15.5-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 3/4 cup ditalini pasta (about 4 ounces)
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss the bread on a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake, tossing halfway through, until crisp, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned in spots and no longer pink, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the onion, carrots, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper; cook until almost tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add the kale and cook until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, chickpeas, pasta, broth and 4 cups water. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the kale is tender and the pasta is al dente, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Ladle the soup into bowls. Top with the croutons and season with pepper.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 460 |
| Total Fat | 15 grams |
| Saturated Fat | 3 grams |
| Cholesterol | 30 milligrams |
| Sodium | 1,088 milligrams |
| Carbohydrates | 58 grams |
| Dietary Fiber | 9 grams |
| Protein | 25 grams |
| Sugar | 11 grams |
Reviews
Sooo good! We were skeptical about only using two sausage links but the proportions actually worked! Warm and comforting, will make again!
Doubled the recipe and used spicy Italian turkey sausage. Really delicious.
Hands down 100% would make again. So delicious and perfect for a snowy spring day in Colorado!
Kept this recipe on my Kindle for weeks because I thought it sounded really good. Finally got to make it today. Sliced all the veggies in my good processor, lazy man’s way. I was not disappointed! It’s delicious!
Delicious! We prefer things spicy so I used hot Italian sausage and added some chili flakes. A complete meal in a bowl
Wonderful soup for a rainy day here in Sacramento that I made in my power pro XL pressure cooker. I did made two changes – changed Kale to Spinach as Kale messes with my Thyroid meds and used mild Italian Sausage instead of turkey sausage. OMG – was this soup ever good!!!