Hearty Winter Soup

Here’s a recipe I made up for one of my clients recently, working with fresh produce in season (sweet potatoes and kale) and Italian chicken sausage. She is working on losing some weight, so my goal was to create a healthy, satisfying, nutrient-rich soup.

Sweet Potato and Kale Soup with Chicken Sausage
Serves 6
Allow 1 hour total prep and cooking time
2 tablespoons oil
½ onion, chopped (I have used sweet, red and white onions, and they all work)
2 stalks celery, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 chicken sausage links, casings removed (I used Italian sausage)
1 bunch of kale (try your favorite variety) — wash, remove stems and chop leaves
1 large (or 2 medium) sweet potato, diced
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried thyme
½ cup white wine (Omit if following the Whole30 challenge)
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Start by heating a 4-quart stockpot over medium-low heat. Add half of the oil to the heated pan and sauté the sausage, using a wooden spoon to crumble it into small chunks as it cooks. When sausage is cooked through and no pink remains, remove it from the pan and set aside in a bowl.

Return the pan to the stove and reheat over medium-low heat. Add the remaining oil, and sauté the onion and celery until the onion become translucent. Add bay leaves, thyme, and garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds, being careful not to burn the garlic.

Deglaze the pan with wine, and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes before returning the sausage to the pan. Then add the diced sweet potatoes, chopped kale and broth, cover the pot and simmer for about 30 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through and tender. Add the parsley, salt, and pepper and serve.

NOTE: I topped my soup with grated parmesan cheese.