White Bean, Kale and Chorizo Soup

Been on a soup kick lately, as a friend gave us some homemade soups and we liked having them in the fridge so much we wanted to have soup on hand after we finished them.

We have quite a lot of dried beans in our cupboards (my fault mainly - I love beans of all kinds). So, why not make a bean soup with cannelinis, that awesome Lacinato Kale at City Market and some of my favorite sausage?

Start by soaking your beans overnight. I used 1 cup dry cannellini beans. If you would prefer to use canned beans, you can - just increase the amount of beans to about 3 cups and omit the cooking step on day 2. To soak your dry beans, just place them in a container and cover with plenty of water and place in the fridge overnight.

The following day, drain the beans and place in a pan, covering them with plenty of fresh cold water. Add a bay leaf, some thyme, rosemary and a little salt and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the beans are soft. Drain them, removing the bay leaf and any floating herbs and set aside.

Sweat (cook over a low heat so as to soften with no color) 1/2 onion (diced), 1/2 carrot (diced) and 1 rib of celery (diced) in butter until soft. Add a piece of chorizo (you decide how much - I used about 3 inches but more is always better with chorizo), diced, and saute (cook over medium-high heat so it colors) until it releases its oils and turns everything orange. Add the reserved beans and 1 quart of chicken stock, and bring to a simmer. Take 1/2 bunch kale, remove the ribs and chop coarsely. Add it to the soup and continue to simmer until cooked through (5-10 minutes). Check the seasoning of your soup, adjust with salt and pepper as necessary, serve, and enjoy! I like to sprinkle a little parm cheese on mine...

Note 1 - Chorizo is a traditional Spanish sausage made from pork, paprika, salt and sometimes garlic. If you cannot find it in the specialty deli section, substitute your favorite sausage. Don't expect it to turn everything orange. Just cook it through.

Note 2 - Kale is great. If you have never tried it, get some for this soup. If, however, you can't get it or don't like it, you could use spinach or Swiss chard.

Note 3 - Any kind of white beans could be substituted. Actually, any kind of beans at all. Just make sure they are cooked until soft.

Note 4 - Soaking your beans is not essential. If you have dried beans and have not soaked them by the time you want to start making your soup, just go ahead and cook them as for day 2. They will take longer to cook but it will still work.

Note 5 - Thyme and rosemary are not required in the bean cooking water. A bay leaf is however recommended.

Note 6 - Metric info: 1 cup = 240ml; 3 inches = 7.5 cm; 1 quart = about 1 litre.