The last soup of the season

It's springtime here in Connecticut, and the time for soup has almost passed. But when I was considering what to make with the kale I got from the co-op, kale and white bean soup immediately came to mind. Deeply flavored with browned sausage, tons of garlic and a touch of red pepper flakes, it's the perfect dish for these last few cool spring nights:

















It's a dead-simple recipe, if you can even call it that. In a large pot, brown six ounces of fully-cooked sausage of any kind in olive oil (I used andouille, but chorizo is my personal favorite). Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and sweat one large, finely chopped yellow onion in the remaining oil. Add 3-4 cloves of chopped garlic and cook a minute more. Then, add one bunch of kale that you've washed, destemmed, and torn into bite-size pieces. Cover the pot and let the kale cook out most of its moisture. Add back the sausage, along with one small can of drained white beans, one small can of chicken broth, and a can-ful of water. Cook, covered, for about 15-20 minutes more, until kale is dark green and tender. Season to taste with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes, and enjoy.