Chicken Sausage, Kale and White Bean Soup

I admit I was a bit skeptical of making this soup. I have seen many variations of it and couldn't believe that a soup without a creamy base would really satisfy me since we all know how addicted I am to cheese and dairy products. So, I was super excited when I tasted this as it was simmering and was overwhelmed by how fantastic it is! I loosely followed Jenn's recipe, from Cooking in the Heartland.

1 15 oz. can cannellini beans, undrained
48 oz. chicken stock
4 al fresco chicken sausage
1 bell pepper, diced
1 leek, whites and light green, diced
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 small white potatoes, COOKED
small bunch kale
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika

Chop the defrosted, fully cooked chicken sausage lengthwise and then into chunks.

In a large pot, sautee the bell pepper and leeks with the olive oil and garlic. Sautee for 4-5 minutes or until transluscent.

Add the chicken stock and beans to the pot. Bring to a simmer and add the chicken sausage and potatoes. Add the cumin and paprika.

Let simmer for 5-10 minutes. In the meantime, very roughly chop the kale, removing any tough stems.

Add the kale to the pot. Don't worry... it will wilt and meld perfectly with the rest of the soup.

When the kale is fully wilted, pull from the heat and serve. Gosh, this is perfect for a cold evening!!