Kale, White Bean & Sweet Apple Sausage Soup

Happy Monday All!  I have to start out today by saying THANKS SO MUCH to all of you for your sweet comments on my very first ever CAKE POP Spring Chickie’s!  I have to admit that while I may bake things, I am not usually a “pretty baker”, but, more of a “practical baker”……think Pumpkin Nut Bread and Banana Nut Pumpkin Butter Flax Muffins,   I typically bake things I can eat and sit on the sidelines watching others make fancy, drool worthy cakes, cupcakes, CAKE POPS!

I think that I am so impressed because CAKE POPS only look hard, but, really, if I can do them and make them actually look like chickie’s, anyone can – they are E-Z, but, totally require patience.

I am pretty sure I am a bit addicted to making them now and can’t wait to try something new.  Did I mention that the stats are not too shabby either because you make sooo many??? They average around 3-5 points each and honestly you can’t really eat more than one because they are SUPER SWEET….just a side note.

Moving on 😉

Breakfast was a quick fried “eggwich” ~ 1 egg “fried” in nonstick spray with sea salt & black pepper on top of a slice of TJ’s FF Multi-Grain Bread (3 pts).

I am really digging saving the point on eggwiches by using REAL bread (not light), but, only 1 slice.

Purple & Orange Peppers! The purple peppers taste just like a cross between green and yellow.  Orange are definitely sweeter, but, the purple are crispier and juicier.

My breakfast ROCKED at keeping me full all morning as in almost 7 hours!  I need to remember that combo.

Yesterday while whipping up all those cake pops, I also thought I’d whip up a delicious batch of soup now that “FALL” is officially here or is supposed to be here!

I had some leftover Trader Joe’s Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage to use up along with a big bunch of kale….Enter Sweet, Savory & Spicy all in one pot!

KALE, WHITE BEAN & SWEET APPLE SAUSAGE SOUP

Doesn’t the title just scream fall LOL…too bad it was 104 degrees today LOL!

INGREDIENTS

4 teaspoons Olive Oil, divided in half

2 Trader Joe’s Sweet Apple Sausages, quartered and diced

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon Dried Italian Seasoning

1 14.5 oz can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 14.5 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes with garlic

32 oz Chicken Broth

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 bunch of kale, removed from stem into 2 inch pieces

Shaved Parmesan for topping, optional

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Heat 2 tsp Olive Oil in a large stock pan over medium heat.  Add chicken sausage and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.  Remove the sausage and add remaining 2 tsp Olive Oil.

2.  Add onion, garlic and dried Italian Seasoning cooking until softened, about 7 minutes.

3.  Stir in beans, tomatoes, broth and reserved sausage.  Stir to combine and add in crushed red pepper flakes.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer.

4.  Add kale and continue cooking until kale is wilted and cooked, about 10 minutes.

‘Top with shaved parmesan and Enjoy!

Makes 4 large 2 cup servings, ONLY 4 points each

Nutritional Information per serving excluding topping:

STEP-BY-STEP

Brown your deliciously sweet, savory Maple Chicken Apple Sausage in 2 tsp olive oil.

Remove the sausage, add remaining 2 tsp olive oil, onion, garlic and Italian seasoning cooking until softened.

Add tomatoes and your beans (I used white but any will work)

Add in the chicken broth.

Return the sausage to the pan.

Spice it up a bit with crushed red pepper flakes to your liking.

After bringing your soup to a boil, add in the kale.

Cook about 10 minutes until the kale is softened and cook.

Top with shaved parmesan if desired, crushed black pepper and sea salt to taste.

Dig into all that soupy goodness and enjoy!

I LOVED this soup and am going to be enjoying it for lunches all week plus freezing a little for a quick lunch down the road on a cool winter day.

Dessert was cantaloupe that I got at the store for $0.57/each! (1 pt)

Mid afternoon I had my usual snack ~ Cheese & a beautiful white nectarine….the answer to today’s riddle a clari-“net” LOL.

The Husband met me after work to do some HALLOWEEN SHOPPING!  SO FUN, I LOVE FALL!!!  I couldn’t resist stopping at Mary’s Pizza Shake for dinner when he offered it up.

Can you believe that this delicious salad sounded better to me than pizza?! AWESOME!!!

I think it’s because it has so many fun things to eat ( 10 pt estimate) probably less because I only managed to eat half of it:

* Iceberg lettuce – eh, but, the other toppings are fun

* Carrots

* Homemade 3 bean Salad

*Mushrooms!

* Beets

* Tomato Slices

* Mozzarella & Egg Slices you can’t see below my chicken & huge onion ring!

* Ranch dressing because sometimes you just need it!

I finished off the night decorating the rest of my CHICKIES!!!! I have to say now that I’ve done it, I am getting much faster.  I decorated another dozen in a 1/2 hour!

I can’t help it, every time I look at them, they make me smile 😀 Speaking of that

~ WHAT IS ONE THING YOU LOOK AT THAT MAKES YOU SMILE NO MATTER WHAT MOOD YOU ARE IN?

I can’t wait for the Farmer’s Market & Biggest Loser tomorrow ~ it’s going to be an awesome day!

Night all!