Hearty Italian Stew Recipe

Ingredients

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ cup yellow onion, diced
• ½ cup carrot, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 lb (450 g) ground mild Italian sausage
• ½ medium green bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 8 curly green kale leaves, woody stems removed
• 0.33 lb (170 g) kielbasa, sliced
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• Sea salt (optional)
• ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped

1. Heat a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. When the pot is hot, add extra-virgin olive oil and wait for 30 seconds.
2. Add yellow onion and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until onion begins to soften. Add garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute.
3. Add mild Italian sausage, and use a wooden spoon to break apart in the bottom of the pot. Cook for 5 minutes, or until sausage begins to brown.
4. Add green bell pepper and tomato paste and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
5. Pour chicken stock into the pot, scraping up any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Add kale, kielbasa, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 30 minutes.
6. Taste soup and season with sea salt to taste, if necessary. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with basil to serve.