Creamy Tuscan Chickpea Soup

I just got my September issue of Food & Wine Magazine, and it is filled with some fabulous recipes for Fall.  This one looked like a winner for the Delaney Test Kitchen, and I was right. It took 35 minutes total, has a good amount of protein for my athletes, and I always love a soup with kale. It was a really nice soup for a cozy day. 

While I used hot Italian sausage as per the recipe, I felt like it could have used some more heat. So next time I’ll be adding some red pepper flakes while the kale is wilting.

I served it with fresh French bread so soak up all the goodness.
Side note:  it made a lot of food. I let the extra cool and then stored it in mason jars in the fridge. It will keep for up to four days. To reheat it, just pour it into into a saucepan and heat it over medium low heat. We will definitely be making this again. Happy Autumn!

Creamy Tuscan Chickpea Soup
Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lb spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
• 1 large celery stalk, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 Cup finely chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 8 Cups chicken stock
• 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 4 cups torn kale leaves (about 1 small bunch)
• 2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup), plus more for garnish (optional)
• 1/4 Cup heavy cream
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt

PREPARATION:

1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Add sausage; cook, stirring often and breaking into small crumbles using a wooden spoon, until sausage is rendered and browned, 5 to 8 minutes.
2. Add onion and celery to Dutch oven; cook, stirring often and scraping bottom of pot to loosen any browned bits, until vegetables begin to soften, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in stock and chickpeas; bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, uncovered, until flavors meld, about 15 minutes. Spoon off and discard any foam that rises to the surface.
3. Add kale to Dutch oven; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in cheese, cream, basil, and salt. Divide soup evenly among bowls, and garnish with additional cheese, if desired.