Rustic Italian soup in the Tuscan style with sausage, cannellini beans and kale. Serves 8.

Ingredients

• 1 lb Italian sweet sausage, casing removed
• 1 lb Italian hot sausage, casing removed
• 2 cans cannellini bean, 15 oz
• 3 shallots or 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 large potato, peeled and diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 bunches kale, stems removed and roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp ground oregano
• 1 tsp fennel seed
• 1 tsp paprika
• 4 cups chicken stock
• ½ cup sherry or dry white wine
• 5 oz Boursin cheese (optional)
• ½ cup milk or half & half
• Ground black pepper and salt to taste

Instructions

Break up sausage and brown in medium dutch over over medium-high flame to form a strong fond. Sauté diced shallot, celery and carrot until tender, and shallot is fragrant and turning translucent. Add garlic and saute one additional minute, until fragrant. Add tomato paste and stir to combine, one to two minutes. Deglaze with sherry, scraping up the fond.

Add spices, cannellini beans with liquid, potato, kale, bay leaves and chicken stock. Cover and simmer 30 minutes, until carrots and potato are tender. If desired, add Boursin cheese and stir until well combined. Add milk and stir to combine.