When the weather in Toronto gets below zero, it feels like the only thing I ever want to eat is SOUP! And this one is as comforting as they come. It starts by using Portuguese sausage to build a smoky, rich flavour that gets absorbed into a base of veggies and infused in broth. Add some white beans, a bunch of kale, a squeeze of lemon and call it a meal!
Chouriço + White Bean Soup
2-4
servings1
hourIngredients
1 tbs olive oil
2 hot Portuguese sausages, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 small yellow onions, sliced
2 medium fennel bulbs, core removed and sliced lengthwise
3 tbs tomato paste
1 tsp chili pepper flakes
4 cups low sodium chicken stock
4 cups water
2 cans (540 mL) cannellini beans, rinsed
1 lemon
4 large kale stems, leaves torn into bite-sized pieces
Salt (I'm using Diamond Crystal)
Cracked black pepper
Directions
Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat.
Cook sausage pieces until crispy and browned, about 5 minutes per side. Take your time with this, we’re building a lot of flavour during this step.
Remove sausages and reserve them on a separate plate. Add fennel and onion to the pot. Continue cooking on medium heat, stirring occasionally until everything becomes soft, about 10 minutes. The veggies should reduce in size by about half.
Add tomato paste and chili pepper flakes, stir to coat. Season with one large pinch of salt and about five cracks of black pepper. Turn the heat to medium-low to prevent burning. Continue stirring until the mixture becomes jammy, about 2 minutes.
Add broth and water, season with another pinch of salt and 5 more cracks of pepper. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Add beans and sausages and reduce to a simmer.
Let simmer for 25-30 minutes. Add the juice of half of the lemon and taste, adjusting salt and pepper to taste.
Add kale and continue simmering until wilted, about 2 minutes.
Serve with lemon wedges.