Tuscan Sausage and White Bean Soup

Rustic and hearty Slow Cooker Tuscan Sausage and White Bean Soup recipe. Delicious slow cooker sausage and kale soup ready to comfort you on a cold night.

Ingredients

4 ounce pancetta cubed
2 pounds bulk mild sausage
2 cans cannellini beans (15 ounce size)
6-7 cups chicken stock divided
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
2-3 cloves fresh garlic finely minced
1 small yellow onion finely chopped
2 pounds Russet potatoes peeled and cut into small chunks
3 inch piece of hard Parmesan cheese rind optional
Salt and black pepper to taste
½ cup half and half tempered**
3 cup fresh kale finely chopped
½ cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated

Instructions

Brown pancetta in large skillet over medium-high heat for 2 or 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add sausage to the same skillet and brown, breaking it up into small bite-sized chunks with a spatula while it cooks. Remove from heat and carefully drain excess fat from pan. Transfer pancetta and sausage to a 5 or 6-quart slow cooker crock.
Puree one can of cannellini beans (undrained) in a blender or food processor. Drain and rinse the other can of cannellini beans and add the puree and whole beans to slow cooker crock.
Add 6 cups chicken stock, red pepper flakes, chopped onion, potatoes, and Parmesan cheese rind to crock and stir to combine. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste.
Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7.
Remove lid and add tempered half and half, kale, freshly grated Parmesan cheese and remaining chicken stock, if necessary, to achieve the desired consistency. Stir to combine and allow 5-10 minutes for kale to soften before serving.

Notes

For less salt, drain and rinse both cans of cannellini beans before pureeing one can with a little water.

To prevent curdling, temper the half and half before adding to the soup by adding a little bit of the hot liquid to it before stirring it into the slow cooker crock.