Sometimes Saturday’s LFD means Leftovers For Dinner and other times it’s Lunch For Dinner. Either way Saturday’s dinner means a casual meal. It is certainly a good way to relax after a busy cooking week.

Kale, cabbage, and white bean soup plus egg salad and Romaine lettuce in a whole wheat pita

Luckily I was experimenting with a soup recipe earlier in the week and had plenty of this kale, cabbage, and white bean soup to serve for dinner tonight.

CABBAGE AND KALE SOUP WITH WHITE BEANS

This soup turned out very well. It was like eating soup from a trattoria in Florence. The original recipe from Food and Wine Magazine called for farro and pancetta instead of white beans and turkey sausage. Serving size 2-3. Cooks for about an hour.

Olive oil spritz
2 oz. turkey sausage
⅓ medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ tsp fish sauce
I 15 oz can cannellini beans (including some of the goo)
¼ head of cabbage
Some kale (no stems)
1 large chopped carrot
1 quart chicken stock
½ cup water (use it to rinse the bottom of the cannellini can)
3 sprigs thyme
½ sprig rosemary
A Parmigiano-Reggiano rind
Salt and pepper
Garnish with good olive oil and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

In a large pot heat the olive oil spritz. Add the turkey sausage and cook over moderate heat until the fat is rendered, 3-4 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened about 5 minutes. Add the fish sauce nad cook for 30 seconds. Add the white beans and stir in. Add the cabbage and kale and cook, stirring until just wilted.

Add the chicken stock, water, thyme and rosemary sprigs and the cheese rind and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Adjust seasoning. Garnish with additional Parmigiano-Reggiano and good olive oil.