Italian Harvest Soup

Fall is definitely upon us with the leaves changing colors, frost on the grass in the morning and the evenings are getting dark earlier and earlier each day. If you’re anything like me, “warm foods” is basically all my meal planning has on it during this time of year. Quick and warm is even better! So this soup, packed full of the last veggies that are harvested before winter, this soup is sure to fill you up, warm you up and give you a ton of important nutrients all in a single bowl. This is also a great dish if you’re wanting to add more kale into your diet but are always unsure of what else to do with it other than the usual salad or smoothie. Another plus with soups is, you can always substitute things or add more ingredients that you have on hand. Don’t be shy to toss in more veggies if you’ve got them sitting around!

• 1 pound mild or hot Italian sausage links
• 2 Tbsp. ghee
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 large celery ribs, diced or thinly sliced
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound red or yukon gold potatoes, cut into ½-inch cubes
• 1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning, or more to taste
• ½ tsp. salt, plus more to taste
• ¼ tsp. black pepper
• 8-10 cups chicken broth, depending on how ‘brothy’ you like it
• 1 small head kale, washed and torn into small pieces

1. Place a large pot over medium-high heat and add olive oil. When oil starts to shimmer, add onions, carrots, celery and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions and mushrooms are soft (about 8 minutes).
2. Add garlic, Italian seasoning and black pepper and continue to cook an additional 30 seconds or until fragrant.
3. Add broth and potatoes and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes and carrots are tender, about 25-30 minutes.
4. While the soup simmers, cook sausage links in a skillet. Cool slightly then slice into rounds.
5. When potatoes and carrots are tender, add cooked sausage and kale. Stir and simmer additional 3 minutes or until sausage is warmed through and kale is wilted
6. Remove from heat and serve with chopped parsley and/or parmesan cheese, if desired.

Thanks to The Real Food Dieticians for this great recipe!