I, surprisingly, had to comb through quite a few of my cookbooks to find a soup recipe with kale and yellow squash, and well, I actually never found one, so I changed a Joy of Cooking recipe to accommodate my little garden’s bounty. I loved this soup, and I know I will make it many more times, since my squash, kale, and herbs are the biggest producers so far this year.

Garden Minestrone Soup

2 T. olive oil
4 chicken or pork sausages, casings removed (I like jalapeno!)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
3/4 c. minced celery, including leaves
8-12 kale leaves, thick stems removed, chopped (or swiss chard)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 sprig rosemary
1/4 c. tightly packed fresh basil, chopped
1/4 c. tightly packed fresh basil, chopped
14 oz. can diced tomatoes
15 1/2 oz. can Cannellini, Great Northern, or other white beans (rinsed and drained)
10 c. chicken stock
1/2 c. parmesan or parmesan rind
2 t. kosher salt
Salt and 1/4 t. freshly grated pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking it, while, sauteing until browned. Then add onions, carrots, celery, kale, garlic, rosemary, basil and Italian Parsley, stirring until greens are beginning to wilt, 5 to 10 minutes. Cover and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.

Then, stir in tomatoes. Cook, stirring, over medium-high heat for 3 to 5 minutes, then add the beans, the chicken stock, and the cheese. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered for 20-30 minutes.

Remove rosemary sprig, and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan or Romano, a drizzle of olive oil, and a slice of terrific bread and rosemary butter.