Sausage Escarole Soup

“A recipe has no soul. You, as the cook, must bring soul to the recipe.” Thomas Keller

There isn’t much I can say about this soup except that it is really freaking good. I love sausage. I love escarole. I love soup. And when you throw sausage and escarole in a pot with a few other ingredients you have something that will nourish your life. So make this and make it soon.

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp. butter
1 lb sweet Italian Sausage
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper 
1 bunch escarole, roughly chopped
1/4 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
Parm cheese to taste 

Optional ingredients for sausage:
1 tbsp. fennel seeds
1 tsp chili flakes
1 tsp rubbed sage

Using a dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot, heat 1 tbsp. of olive oil over medium high heat. Add the sausage. I used sweet italian link sausage and removed the casings. But if you can find bulk sausage that will save you a step. Also, I am using sweet sausage because I want to control the spices but you can use hot sausage or premade fennel sausage. Break up the sausage with a wooden spoon or one of these handy dandy chopper dodads shown below which makes the process much easier.

When the sausage is about half way done (about 5 min later), create a space in the pan and add the spices. Let them toast for a minute and then incorporate into the sausage. Add the salt and pepper.

Continue cooking for another 5 minutes or so until the sausage is cooked through and nice and browned. Remove the meat from the pot and set aside.

Turn the heat down to medium low and add in one tbsp of butter and then the chopped onions. Allow the onions to sweat for about 5 min, stirring frequently. Next, throw in the garlic and cook for one minute.

Put all of the escarole in the pot. It looks like a lot but it will shrink down majorly. Stir it around. If you can’t find escarole at your store, you can use kale, mustard greens or beet greens. I wouldn’t use spinach because I feel like this recipe needs a heartier green to hold up well. But if that is all you have, give it a try.

Add in the chicken stock and cream, stir and cook for 5 min.

And finally, add the sausage back into the pot and stir. Turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 10 minutes.

Now, this is very very important:

Taste your soup!!

Maybe it needs more salt or pepper. Personally, I add a bunch of freshly cracked black pepper to the soup because that is what I love. You might not like that. Maybe you like a little more salt. Maybe it is already absolutely perfect. But unless you taste it, you can’t know. So taste and adjust as you like.

And your soup is done!!! I added a little pinch of paprika and a large spoonful of grated parm in my bowl and I highly recommend following my lead. Enjoy this soup and since each serving has only 270 calories and 4g net carbs, I won’t blame you if you go in for a second bowl.

Sausage Escarole Soup

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 40 mins

Course entree

Servings 4 bowls

Ingredients

  

• 1 lb sweet Italian sausage
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter grass fed if possible
• 1/4 onion chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt

optional seasonings for the sausage

• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• 1 tbsp rubbed sage
• 1 tsp red chili flakes

Instructions

 

• Heat olive oil over midium high heat in a dutch oven or heavy bottomed pan. Add sausage and cook for 5 min, breaking it up with a chopper or wooden spoon. Create a space in the bottom of the pan, add spices, allow to toast for a minute and then incorporate spices into sausage (optional). Cook 5 more minutes, stirring often. Remove meat from pot and turn heat down to medium low. Add in butter and onions and cook for 5 min, stirring frequently. Add garlic, cook one minute. Add escarole and cook until it wilts, stirring often. Add in chicken broth and heavy cream. Cook 5 min, stiring often. Add sausage back into pot, stir, turn heat down to low and simmer 10 min. Taste the soup and add more salt and/or pepper to taste. Serve with grated parm and chili flake.

Notes

Macros

Number of Servings: 4
Amount Per Serving:
Calories 270
Total Fat 17g
Carbohydrate 5g
Dietary Fiber 1g
Net Carbs 4g
Protein 21g
Sugars 0g
Potassium 285mg
Vitamin A 28%
Vitamin C 4%
Calcium 13%
Iron 10%