3 cups cranberry or pinto beans
1 cup spelt or wheat berries (available at gourmet-food shops)
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
½ pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 pound kale, preferably Tuscan, coarse stems removed, cut into thick ribbons
1 medium-large onion, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1 large rib celery, trimmed and diced
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
5 cups homemade chicken stock, or canned low-sodium stock, plus more if needed
1 cup peeled, seeded, and diced tomatoes, or drained canned diced tomatoes
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 sprig fresh sage
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Soak beans and spelt overnight in separate bowls of cold water.
Drain and set aside.
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
Add sausage.
Cook stirring occasionally, until meat begins to separate and brown (3–5 minutes).
3–5 minutes
Stir in kale, onion, carrot, celery, and garlic.
Cook until softened (about 10 minutes).
10 minutes
Add beans, spelt, chicken stock, and tomatoes.
Bring to boil.
Stir in rosemary and sage.
Reduce heat.
Simmer mixture for 60–70 minutes, until beans are tender; if soup is too thick, add chicken stock.
60–70 minutes
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Ladle soup into bowls.
Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle on cheese.
Serve immediately.
- •Have this soup first with bread, like ciabatta, then finish with some cold cuts, like salami and prosciutto.
- •Instead of using spelt, you can substitute barley.
- •If you can't find Tuscan kale, you can use regular kale, mustard greens, or Swiss chard.
- •This soup tastes even better the next day.