^{Get warm and cozy with this hearty, protein packed soup. A feel good lunch that tastes like a cream based soup, but is so much better for you!}

This is a soup I’ve made for years and it never lets me down. The idea came when I started to see what amazing things cauliflower could do. As much as I love a chowder or something rich and hearty, I knew cauli-in-disguise would be an incredible substitute!

There is also so much comfort to be found in sausage and beans. Turkey sausage has also been a go-to swap for a lot of recipes. Sausage in general, especially Italian sausage, is one of my favorite things and I refuse to live without it. Beans are super filling and full of fiber and protein and leave you feeling full without all the calories and guilt.

This is also a great lunch on a day that you have a big workout. It’s balanced and will keep you going through the day as well as after your exercise. Of course it’s the perfect recipe for a cold winter day – especially when you may not have a ton of fresh vegetables sitting around or can’t get to the store.

Make sure that you make roasted garlic for this recipe. It’s not going to be bad without it but it will make it so insanely delicious if you add it.

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Sausage, Kale & Cauliflower Soup

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Get warm and cozy with this hearty, protein packed soup. A feel good lunch that tastes like a cream based soup, but is so much better for you!

Prep Time:30

Cook Time:50

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin, divided
1 pound turkey sausage ground
1 medium onion chopped, divided
3 (12 oz.) bags frozen cauliflower florettes
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
⅓ cup fat free creamer
1 small head garlic roasted* see below instructions
1 (15 oz.) can white beans drained
6-8 medium mushrooms sliced
5-6 cups fresh kale chopped
¼ cup parmesan (optional)
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat a dutch oven on the stove top to medium-high heat with one tablespoon olive oil for 1-2 minutes until hot. Add turkey and brown the meat for 6-8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove and set aside.
In the same dutch oven, add the other tablespoon of olive oil and cook half of the chopped onion for 5-6 minutes with a little salt and pepper until translucent. Add cauliflower and broth and turn to high heat. Allow liquid to boil and then turn down to medium-low heat and simmer for at least 20 minutes. Cauliflower should be very soft. Add roasted garlic and half and half.
Using an immersion blender, carefully blend the cauliflower with the broth. Do so for about 1-2 minutes until the soup is completely creamed together and well blended. Add half and half. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Drain white beans and add these to the soup along with the sausage. Heat a large frying pan on medium-high heat with non stick cooking spray and allow pan to heat up. Then add kale. Cook for 4-5 minutes until kale has reduced to half the amount and season with salt and pepper. Add to the soup.
In the same frying pan, spray with non stick cooking spray and cook the other half of the chopped onion and cook for 3-4 minutes. Then add mushrooms to the frying pan with the onion and cook for an additionally 2-3 minutes. Add to the soup.
Cover the soup and let simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. Add red pepper flake, parmesan and parsley.
For roasted garlic: ****Preheat oven to 400 degree. Drizzle a square foot of foil with olive oil. Slice the top of a head of garlic and place the sliced side face down on the oiled foil. Wrap the head of garlic completely in the foil and set in the oven for 35-40 minutes. Allow to cool before opening and squeeze out all the garlic.

Notes

Ingredients & Technique:

Before even attempting this recipe, make sure that you have a really great blender on hand (an immersion blender will do). The key to this is making truly blended, creamy soup, that becomes silky and frothy before adding all the ingredients. It’s also important that you roast garlic ahead of time.

I also prefer frozen cauliflower in this recipe solely for the fact that it does everything we need it to do. Frozen vegetables tend to lose their integrity after they are frozen and sometimes par-boiled. They get mushy and fall apart. We don’t need the cauliflower to stand out in whole pieces, in fact, it’s better if it breaks apart and wilts down. The softer the cauliflower becomes, the better the blending process.

How long does it last and where?

This lasted for about 4-5 days in the fridge.

Can you freeze it?

You can freeze this, but you want to make sure you’re not adding much or any dairy to it before freezing the soup because it could separate when it experiences different temperatures. Create it without any added cream or cheese, place in freezer safe storage containers, and then add the dairy when you reheat this soup.

Substitutions?

There is not a lot to substitute in this recipe if you want my honest opinion. If you don’t have white beans on hand and want to add chopped, cooked potatoes you may. I would suggest adding chunks of hearty vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, broccoli or fresh cauliflower instead.

Pork and chicken sausage can also be added to replace the turkey sausage. If you’re not a fan of sausage in general, you’re more than welcome to use plain, lean ground turkey. Remember to season the turkey with salt and pepper as well as garlic and herbs of your choice.

What to serve with it?

Serve with a grilled cheese sandwich or a nice side salad. I would also suggest toasty bread as a side. You can have bread…this is such a light recipe that bread and croutons are find to add!