Sausage, Kale, White Bean Soup

I was looking for something warm and hearty to make last Sunday as the first truly cold days of winter started to bite. The way the yam broke down brought a wonderfully silky texture and an unexpected creaminess.

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried great northern beans – soaked and prepared
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium leeks – halved, rinsed and sliced
• 6 cloves garlic – chopped
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1.5 quarts of water
• 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary – chopped
• Fresh ground black pepper – to taste
• 2 medium yams – peeled, cut into ½ inch cubes
• 1 pound hot cased sausage – sliced into 1 inch pieces
• ½ pound kale – stems and center ribs removed, torn into bite sized pieces

Directions
Pour beans into a stove top pot, cover with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand uncovered for 1 hour. Drain and rinse beans in a colander.

In a separate 8 quart stock pot, sweat leeks and garlic in olive oil on low for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened (being careful to keep low so the garlic does not burn).

Add rinsed beans, chicken broth, water, rosemary, pepper, and yams to the stock pot. Bring up to a boil, then lower and simmer for 50 minutes.

While your soup in simmering, sauté sausage slices in batches until browned and fully cooked. Transfer to a paper towel to drain.

Once your yams and beans are tender, add the sausage and kale. Stirring occasionally, until the kale is tender, let simmer for an additional 15 minutes.