Kale, White Bean, Mushroom and Sausage Soup

First, pick your beans. Today 6oz. of GOYA brand, dried, Small White Beans seemed right.

Rinse, sort, and cook according to package directions. You can skip this step - if you'd rather - by just using 1 or 2 cans of drained, rinsed white beans.

While the beans are simmering, or resting, do the sausage and vegetable prep, chopping and/or slicing, all the following, then sauté the first group in a 5-6 quart pot for 10 minutes before adding the rest.

1 sm.-med. onion

2 lg. cloves garlic

2 lg. purple shallots

2 stalks celery

1 lg. carrot

2 colorful mini peppers

12oz. lg. fresh mushrooms

3T good quality EVOO

1 lg. bunch dinosaur kale - ribbed, sliced-chopped

~ 4oz as shown in the colander

10oz. seasoned chicken sausage

~ mine is 'pear, gouda, with savory spices'

prepared white beans

1-2T chicken Better Than Bouillon

1T Italian Seasoning 'mortared' to powder

1-2t fresh ground black pepper

a sprinkle of cayenne pepper

3c cold, fresh water

After adding the 2nd group of ingredients, cover and simmer on low heat for 45 minutes, then add the pasta.

7oz. dry, broken Italian Chitarra

~ or regular dry, spaghetti pasta

3-5c water 

Bring back to a low bubble, cover and simmer another 15 minutes, or when pasta is the way you like it. Top with a little dry, aged, flavorful cheese before serving. 

This is so perfect for the cool, breezy, 60° day we're having here in northern Minnesota, USA on this October Wednesday. Wish I could give each of you a big, steamy bowl of this right now. . .Lin