Italian Sausage and Chard Soup
with apple spinach salad
Simple and packed with nutrients, this soup is great for the transition to cooler weather. The beans make it feel hearty, the sausage lends it a deep savory flavor and the chard cooks down enough that you barely realize you're eating something so healthy. This is a classic Cook Smarts soup that always gets great reviews from our community.
Ingredients
- Parsley - 6 sprigs, chopped
- Garlic - 2 cloves, chopped
- Onions, small - 1, diced
- Chard, any type - 1 bunch, leaves torn and stems chopped into 1/2" pieces
- Mushrooms, brown - 1/2 lb, sliced (look for pre-sliced)
- Carrots - 8 oz, diced
- Tomatoes, diced (14 oz / 397 g) - 1 can, drained
- Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp
- Italian sausage, uncooked - 1/2 lb
- Stock, chicken - 2 1/2 cups
- Bay leaves - 1
- Oregano, dried - 1/2 tsp
- Shallots - 1/2 bulb, diced
- Apples, any variety - 1, sliced
- Vinegar, balsamic - 1 Tbsp
- Vinegar, apple cider - 1 1/2 Tbsp
- Maple syrup - 2 tsp
- Oil, cooking - 1/4 cup
- Baby spinach - 5 oz
Nutrition Facts
Prep
- Parsley / Garlic / Onions / Chard / Carrots / Mushrooms - Prep as directed. Store garlic, onions, chard stems and carrots in one container. Store parsley, chard leaves and mushrooms each in their own separate container. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
- Tomatoes - Drain tomatoes.
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Make
- Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add cooking oil (portion for the soup) and then Italian sausage (removed from its casing) to heated oil. Saute until sausage is golden, 4 to 6 minutes. Drain any fat from the pot.
- Add garlic, onions, chopped chard stems and carrots to pot. Saute for ~3 minutes and then add in tomatoes, stock, bay leaf and oregano. Cover and bring to a boil. Add in mushrooms and simmer uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes.
- While soup is simmering, make vinaigrette. Dice shallots and whisk with balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup and cooking oil (portion for the salad). Season to taste as needed with some salt and pepper. Slice apples.
- Return to soup. Add in chard leaves. Cook for another 5 minutes and then season to taste with some salt and pepper. Remove bay leaf.
- Ladle soup into individual bowls and top with parsley. Toss vinaigrette with sliced apples and baby spinach. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Reviews
Ratings
36 reviews
Super good low calorie filling meal. I didn’t make the garlic bread. You don’t really need it
0 HelpfulFirst meal I made from Cook Smarts, and it was incredible. Have made it twice now and served for guests. Paired nicely with a home-made sourdough.
0 HelpfulI always double the batch when I make this. I added some matchstick carrots usually also if I have them on hand. The flavor is delicious. Everyone I've shared it with loves it. I never thought to put ground sausage in a soup, but its yummy! One of my go-to soups here.
0 Helpful