I find that the easiest way to save money and eat healthily is to buy whatever is on sale at the local market (not the supermarket, but actual local market). Usually, they'll have a super discount on items they got really fresh and cheap from a local farmer. In this case, fresh kale for 99 cents a bunch. Can't pass that up!
The 2nd easiest way to shop, if you eat meat, is to buy whatever meat is on sale. This week featured fresh Italian sausages, which looked so plump and delicious, I decided to get it. Usually sausage can be a bit rich for sautes or salads, so I opted to put it in soup.
You'll need:
1 cup of dried white beans (cannellini or great northern white) *soaked over night - if you want to get canned, it's ok too, get 1 can drained
1 package of Italian sausage (about 4 links)
1 head of leeks - chopped into 1 inch pieces
1 large onion - chopped into half inch pieces
4 cloves of garlic - minced
3 medium sized red or yellow skin (not Idaho) potatoes - chopped into 1 inch cubes
2 bunches of kale - wash and tear leaves into 1 inch chunks - discard the stems
hot water - enough to cover everything
olive oil to saute
salt and pepper
oregano and basil
red pepper flakes (optional)
The FIRST thing to do is to soak those beans the night before you make this soup. Or if you don't have time, just used a can of great norther white beans, drained and rinsed. When soaking beans, just pour a cup of dried beans into a bowl that will hold about 3 cups of liquid, since the beans will expand. Rinse to clean the beans, add lots of water to cover the beans by about 1 1/2 inch, and leave out over night. Don't leave it in the fridge, or your beans will take forever to cook. They should be nice and plump and maybe split in the morning. Make sure you keep it covered with water once it expands.
To make the soup, first cut up the Italian sausage into bite size chunks about 1 inch. If you favor smaller bites cause you like eating all classy like, then cut them into half inch chunks. Heat up a pan on medium heat, add a little olive oil to coat the pan, and add the sausage in 2 batches. Make sure they brown evenly (hence 2 batches) on all sides. Pick up with a slotted spoon and place on the side.
You can either cook the onions and leeks in the fat of the sausage, which will give it a great flavor, or if you're watching your cholesterol or fat intake, drain the fat and add olive oil. Once the oil is heated, add the chopped onions and leeks. Saute until fragrant and the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook with the onions and leeks until fragrant. Add the potatoes and saute for 1 more minute. Add the kale, and turn off the fire (no need to cook the kale).
Now you can add the sausage back in, along with hot water to cover everything. This will be the broth, so make sure you have just enough water to cover the contents, but not too much, since the veggies will shrink and give off more water. Turn the heat up to medium high, and let the stock come to a simmer. Turn the heat down to the lowest setting, put the lid on, and let it simmer for about 45 minutes.
Come back and check on the beans and potatoes. Add the salt, pepper, and oregano and basil (make sure you add just 1 tsp of salt at a time, and taste to see how salty it is each time). If you like spicy, add the pepper flakes. Cook for another 15 - 20 minutes, checking on the potatoes and beans every 10 minutes. The potatoes should be just tender, and the beans should be soft and starchy (not crunchy, or you'll have issues with digesting them...).
Remove the pot from the fire. If you are storing this in the fridge, fill a sink with cold water, and put the pot in the sink (make sure water isn't too high), and let it cool off quickly in the water. It should take about 40 minutes to cool, and then you can store in the fridge for about a week.
This soup is great for the winter, and you can serve it with crusty bread. I eat mine with some Sriracha sauce ;)
Enjoy!
