How to Make Easy, Inexpensive Kale Soup With Breakfast Sausage (Diabetic Friendly)

This simple-to-make soup is inexpensive, good, and incredibly nutritious. You can use pork or turkey breakfast sausage to make the soup, but, you'll have to drain most pork sausage well before adding the other ingredients. The soup is filled with fiber-rich vegetables and protein and is great if you're on a diabetic diet or want to "eat healthy." If you're not a kale fan, you can substitute spinach for the kale, which will give you a slightly sweeter tasting soup. I often use frozen kale or spinach, which are convenient and inexpensive, but fresh greens are great, too. The soup makes a hearty dinner with a salad and whole-grain bread, and leftovers make nice lunches later in the week. Enjoy!

How to Make Easy, Inexpensive Kale Soup With Breakfast Sausage (Diabetic Friendly)

Breakfast Sausage and Kale Soup -- Makes 2-3 Quarts

16 ounces of pork or turkey breakfast sausage

1 medium/large onion, chopped

1 cup of sliced or shredded carrots

3 cups of chicken broth (or use 3 cups of water plus 1 tablespoon of chicken base, like

reduced sodium "Better Than Bullion)

3 cups of water

1 15-16-ounce can of white beans

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

12-16 ounce bag of chopped frozen kale or spinach

1/4 cup of yellow cornmeal, optional

Grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat and add the sausage, onion, and carrots. Saute everything together for 5-10 minutes or until the sausage is cooked and the onion and carrots have softened a bit. Drain the fat from the pan if necessary (i.e., your sausage is really "fatty"). Add the broth, water, white beans (don't drain them, just add the liquid, too), and garlic powder to the pan and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and let the soup cook for 30-45 minutes. Stir in the kale or spinach and bring the soup back to a simmer. Let the soup cook another 20-30 minutes, partially covered. If you'd like a slightly thicker soup, gradually add the cornmeal to the soup, whisking it in gradually (and carefully, as the soup is hot!). Let the soup cook another 5-10 minutes to thicken it up a bit. Taste the soup and add salt and pepper if you think it's necessary (remember, the sausage is seasoned, and the broth and beans have a lot of salt in them, generally, so taste, then season). Serve the soup plain or sprinkled with a little Parmesan cheese, if you'd like.

How to Make Easy, Inexpensive Kale Soup With Breakfast Sausage (Diabetic Friendly)