30-Minute Italian Sausage Soup with Greens and Ditalini

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A weeknight trattoria soup built on one smart move: brown the sausage hard first so the fond becomes the broth's backbone. From there it's a 30-minute simmer with white beans, tender kale and small pasta — brothy, deeply savory, and freezer-friendly if you cook the pasta separately.

Ingredients

• 1 lb bulk Italian sausage (hot or sweet), casings removed if links
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (or water)

• 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 15-oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 piece Parmesan rind (optional but recommended)
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 cup ditalini or other small pasta
• 1 bunch lacinato kale, stems removed, leaves torn (about 6 cups)
• 2 tsp red wine vinegar
• to taste kosher salt and black pepper

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• for drizzling good olive oil

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage in large chunks and let it sit undisturbed for 4 to 5 minutes so a deep brown crust forms before you touch it. Break it into bite-size pieces with a wooden spoon and cook 3 to 4 minutes more until no pink remains. Transfer the sausage to a bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving the rendered fat and browned bits in the pot.
2. Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of fat. Add the onion, carrots and celery with a big pinch of salt and cook over medium heat for 6 to 7 minutes, scraping the fond off the bottom as the vegetables release moisture, until softened and lightly golden.
3. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, fennel seeds and red pepper flakes. Cook 90 seconds, stirring constantly, until the tomato paste darkens to brick red and smells toasty.
4. Pour in the white wine and simmer 2 minutes, scraping the pot bottom clean, until reduced by about half.
5. Add the chicken broth, diced tomatoes with their juice, beans, Parmesan rind, rosemary sprig and the browned sausage. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer and cook uncovered for 20 minutes, until the broth tastes rounded and savory.
6. Fish out the rosemary stem and Parmesan rind. Stir in the ditalini and cook 8 to 9 minutes at a gentle simmer, until just al dente. Add the kale in the last 4 minutes and stir until it wilts and turns deep green.
7. Off the heat, stir in the red wine vinegar and season aggressively with salt and black pepper — the pasta and beans will have absorbed a lot. Let the soup rest 5 minutes to settle.
8. Ladle into bowls and finish each with grated Parmesan, chopped parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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