Creamy Italian Sausage Soup

 I am a fan of creamy based soups, there is just something so comforting about a big bowl of warm creamy soup. This soup was not just comforting, delicious and hit the spot on a chilly day, but it was super easy to make. 

I am starting to come to the conclusion that I like kale in my soup better than spinach. Lately I have been using kale more in my soups and spinach less. With this soup you can use either kale or spinach, they will both work well.

Creamy Italian Sausage Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground Italian sausage
• 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
• 1/2 cup diced red pepper
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic, about 2 large cloves
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 12 ounces frozen egg noodles
• 2 cups half and half
• 3 cups kale, roughly chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. In a large pot, over medium-high heat, cook and crumble the sausage until completely cooked and browned. Remove the sausage and set aside. Drain the excess fat or you can keep some for added flavor.
2. In the same pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add in the diced onions and red pepper. Sauté until soft about 4 minutes. Add in the garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
3. Sprinkle the flour into the pot and stir until well mixed. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally.
4. Once the mixture has come to a boil, stir in the frozen noodles. Return the mixture to a boil and cook for 20 minutes, stirring often.
5. Stir in the sausage, half and half, kale and black pepper. Cook until heat through about 5 minutes. 
6. Serve with parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!!!

Notes:

Substitute spicy Italian sausage to add a little bit of spiciness to the soup.

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 352
Total Fat		24.2g
Saturated Fat		11.3g
Trans Fat		0g
Polyunsaturated Fat		0.1g
Monounsaturated Fat		0.6g
Cholesterol		77.5mg
Sodium		118.4mg
Total Carbohydrates		17.9g
Dietary Fiber		1.4g
Sugars		4.6g
Protein		9g
Calcium		37.2%
Iron		2.8%
Potassium		144.9mg
Vitamin A		114.2%
Vitamin C		34.4%
*Nutritional information will vary depending on the brands you use.

*Adapted from The Gunny Sack.