The ultimate healthy comfort food: minestrone. This was inspired by a Food and Wine recipe that used Italian sausage and didn’t use pasta. I’m indicating bowls not servings here…it’s impossible to eat just one bowl so the number of servings is up to you!

Makes 12 bowls

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 1/4 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
1 can diced tomatoes
Parmesan cheese rind
1/2 pound kale, cleaned and roughly chopped
1 15-ounce can cannelini beans, drained

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large enamel-covered cast iron Dutch oven. Remove casings from sausage. Saute sausage in olive oil, breaking up into pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook through thoroughly, then add onions and cook until translucent, approximately 2 minutes. Stir in garlic, carrots, and celery and cook another 2 minutes.

Add stock and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and add cheese rind. Simmer for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours.

15 minutes before serving, stir in kale and cannelini beans. Stir until kale is wilted.

Remove Parmesan cheese rind and serve hot.