Recipe #267: Herby Kale Soup with Chickpeas and Sausage

Oh man.  This one is EXCELLENT, and that's saying something because I'm not the biggest fan of sausage.  I found this on http://justthetipfood.wordpress.com.  The only change I made was that I used one can of chickpeas and one can of great northern beans because I bought one can of chickpeas instead of two.  DELICIOUS!!  Super hearty and makes a lot.  I bet the leftovers will be great!

INGREDIENTS: 

• 3 links raw sausage, removed from casings
• 1 head of kale, stripped from the stems and roughly chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced or grated
• 1 1/2 – 2 quarts of low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tbsp of fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp of fresh thyme, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp of fennel seed, pulsed to fine powder in spice/coffee grinder (I used my mortar and pestle) 
• 2 15-oz cans of reduced-sodium chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 parmesan rind
• kosher salt & freshly ground pepper
• parmigiano reggiano for garnish
• olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot. Brown the sausage on all sides, about 5 minutes (sausage will finish cooking through later in the broth). Remove from the pan and set aside.
2. Add onions, carrots, rosemary, thyme, fennel & red pepper flakes. Season with S&P and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
3. Return sausage to the pan, and add the chickpeas, chicken broth, and parmesan rind
4. Cover and bring to a boil. Remove lid, reduce heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes.
5. Remove parmesan rind.  Add kale and cook for another 5 minutes until wilted.
6. Taste for seasoning. Sprinkle with parmigiano and serve.