Italian Sausage and Kale Soup with Whole Wheat Orzo

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, chopped small
• 1 T + 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 T minced garlic
• 1 tsp. ground fennel
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 5 links sweet Turkey Italian Sausage
• 8 cups chicken stock
• 4 cups beef stock
• 5 oz. baby kale or one large bunch of kale
• 1 can petite dice tomatoes with juice
• Salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup Whole Wheat Orzo Pasta or broken whole wheat spaghetti pieces
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Directions

1. Warm 1 T olive oil in a sturdy soup pot with room for the whole batch. Stir in the onion and cook until it begins to turn tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add the minced garlic, ground fennel, dried oregano, and dried basil, and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
2. As the onion cooks, pour 2 tsp. olive oil into a large frying pan and heat it. Press the turkey Italian sausage out of its casings into the pan and cook until nicely browned, breaking it into pieces with the back of your turner as it cooks. An old-fashioned potato masher works well for this too.
3. Pour the chicken stock and beef stock into the onion mixture and bring it to a simmer. Once the sausage is browned, transfer it into the soup pot.
4. Add 1/2 cup water to the sausage pan and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom, then pour that flavorful liquid into the soup. Simmer the stock, sausage, and herbs for about 20 minutes so the flavors can come together.
5. While the soup base simmers, roughly chop the baby kale. If using regular kale, remove and discard the center rib from each leaf, cut the leafy part into small pieces, and rinse it well under cold water.
6. After 20 minutes, stir the kale into the soup pot and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Add the petite diced tomatoes with their juice and continue simmering for another 20-30 minutes.
7. Measure out 1/2 cup Whole Wheat Orzo Pasta or break whole wheat spaghetti into small pieces. If using cauliflower rice instead, use a slightly larger amount since it will not expand as it cooks.
8. Raise the heat a bit until the soup reaches a gentle boil, then stir in the orzo, spaghetti, or cauliflower rice. Cook for about 20 minutes, until the pasta is tender.
9. Ladle the soup hot and finish each serving with plenty of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.