White Bean & Italian Sausage Soup with Basil Pesto

A comforting and flavorful soup featuring Italian sausage, cannellini beans, and kale, elevated by a drizzle of fresh basil pesto.

By @caitlinjesson

Original recipe source

Cook time: 35 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 3 oz basil
• 0.33 cup pine nuts
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 1 garlic large clove
• 0.25 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb Italian sausage uncooked, pork or chicken
• 2 cup kale chopped
• 2 garlic large cloves, minced
• 6 cup chicken bone broth
• 0.5 lemon juiced
• 1 can cannellini beans drained and rinsed
• 0 salt to taste
• 0 pepper to taste
• 0 pesto or use homemade pesto
• 0 Aleppo pepper or chili flakes, optional

Instructions

1. To make the pesto, add 3 oz of fresh basil, ⅓ cup of pine nuts, ½ tsp of salt, and 1 large clove of garlic into a food processor. Pulse until the basil is finely chopped.
2. Slowly add ¼ cup of olive oil to the food processor while pulsing until desired consistency is achieved.
3. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 lb of Italian sausage, breaking it into bite-sized pieces, and cook until browned and crispy in some areas.
4. Add 2 cups of chopped kale and 2 large cloves of minced garlic. Sauté with the sausage for 1-2 minutes.
5. Pour in 6 cups of chicken bone broth and the juice of half a lemon. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pot to release any browned bits.
6. Add 1 can of drained and rinsed cannellini beans. Simmer the soup for 10-15 minutes. Turn off the heat and adjust salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve the soup hot with a drizzle of pesto and a sprinkle of Aleppo pepper or chili flakes on top, if desired.