So, I’m just going to go ahead and apologize right off the bat for posting a non-thanksgiving-ish recipe the day before the holiday. I know, it’s heresy. But you know, this is what came out of my kitchen this week and the only thing I could manage to write about, so here it is. Good thing it’s delicious!
I had all these grand plans of making a bunch of Thanksgiving dishes and sharing them all with you before the day so that you would be jam-packed with good ideas for the big feast. I managed to squeeze a couple out, like the Easy Roasted Brussels Sprouts and the Mini Vegan Apple Pie.
But man oh man, the last two weeks have been a total whirlwind. All good things, but no down time at all. Just this past weekend we went out with some coworkers for a birthday celebration, had dinner at our good friends’ house in Atascadero (where Annie and I managed to drink too much wine and get a bit silly), and then had a Friendsgiving at another friends’ house with a bunch of other good people.
Don’t get me wrong, it was a really great weekend full of fun stuffs, but when the heck am I supposed to fit cooking in there?!
So, you guys get soup, which I cooked up right quick last night before taking the dog on a walk and cleaning the house (by which I mean AJ cleaned the whole house, because he’s amazing like that) and writing this post.
And you know what? If Thanksgiving just isn’t your thing or you are averse to the traditional turkey-and-mashed-potatoes kind of food normally served for the feast, by all means make this soup. It is hearty, filling, delicious, and easy.
It’s gotta simmer for a bit on the stove, but you can get some reading in during that time, or take the dog for a walk. When it’s all cooked up and ready to go, you’ve got a slightly spicy soup from the veggie sausages and crushed red pepper.
It’s also really creamy, though, in a white bean and potatoes kind of way. AJ said it’s one of the best soups to come out of our kitchen, and I’m inclined to agree (though my Leek and Potato Soup is darn good).
Print
Italian Harvest Soup (Vegan Option, Gluten-Free)
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
An easy, comforting soup recipe. Sausage and red pepper flakes give this hearty soup a bit of spice, while potatoes and white beans make it nice and creamy. Substitute ingredients provided for a vegan version. This soup is a classic!
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 large carrots, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 medium gold potatoes, cut into 1 cm cubes
- 2 15oz cans white beans
- 1 can diced fire roasted tomatoes
- 4 cups vegetable broth (chicken broth also works for meat eaters)
- 2 cups water
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1/4 tsp ground sage
- 1 tsp mixed dried Italian herbs
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 cups lightly packed kale
- 2 pork OR veggie link sausages, cut into half moons
- salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Warm 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large stock pot on the stove. Add the diced onion and carrots and cook over medium-high heat until just starting to brown, about 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic, then the potatoes. Let cook for an additional 7 or 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Rinse and drain the white beans, then add them to the pot along with the can of diced tomatoes, the vegetable broth, and the water. Add the tomato paste, herbs, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes are soft.
- While the soup is simmering, cut the sausages in half, then slice into half moons. Heat the remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat, then add the sausages. Cook, tossing often, until the sausages are nicely browned all over. Remove from the heat.
- When the potatoes are soft, stir in the kale and cook for another 5 minutes or so. Add the browned sausage and stir together, then serve immediately.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: Italian, soup, stew, vegan, fall, autumn
Also, have a very wonderful Thanksgiving, to those of my US readers who celebrate it. If you’re from other parts of the world, you’re welcome for a “normal” recipe, and have a wonderful weekend!
If you love this recipe, please give it a rating in the comments below!
And if warming soup is your thing, then these veggie-packed recipes should float your boat:
- Flavorful Curried Pumpkin Soup
- Italian-Style Beans and Greens
- Creamy Tomato Basil Bisque
- Potage Creme d’Epinards (Cream of Spinach)
- Butternut Squash Apple
Photos by Raquel Smith, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published on November 26, 2014. Last updated: November 11, 2020 at 15:42 pm.
Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.
About Raquel Smith
Raquel is a whole foods enthusiast, an avid mountain biker, and a dog lover. She works by day at Food Blogger Pro and formerly maintained her food blog "My California Roots" (now merged into Foodal).
oh this looks so delicious .. my kind of soup. Beautiful pictures too.
Thank you, Dahn! We finished off the leftovers last week, and they were possibly even more delicious that way! I hope you try it!