Sunday Soup

April still has a chill in the air up here. Seemed like a good day for soup. And to use up some leftovers hogging space in the freezer.

First I sautéed some Italian sausage ( a gift from our pig-raising neighbors) in olive oil, then tossed in two chopped onions, several cloves of sliced garlic, and a big pinch of crushed red peppers. When the onions were soft and translucent I added in a cup or so of red wine and let that cook down until the pan was almost dry. Next went in about 2 quarts of chicken broth (I made that from the bag of parts I'd been collecting in the freezer), a bunch of chopped kale, and about 3 cups of cooked cannelini beans with some of their cooking liquid (also found in the freezer). I brought the pot up to boil and let it simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes. This soup needed plenty of salt and pepper so I seasoned to taste. Then the step I am most proud of. Last time I made lasagna I had more noodles than room in my pan. I sliced those into ribbons and put them away in the freezer for a day like today. I added the thawed noodles to the soup and let them heat through before serving. I topped James' bowl with a drizzle of olive oil, chopped parsley and a shards of parmesan cheese.