Mondays are hard. Regardless of your work schedule, the first day of the week tends to be a struggle. Not to mention the whole getting-dark-early and staying-dark-longer thing makes it a loootttt more difficult to get out of bed.
Once you’ve made it through Monday and arrive back home, chances are you aren’t too keen on cooking something for yourself and/or your family. That’s where the slow cooker comes in!
Throwing together a “dump and go” meal before you leave for work, or on Sunday evening before bed, will make your Mondays 100x more bearable.
With just 15 minutes of prep, you can have a warm meal to greet you after you leave work, pick up the kids, and accomplish all of the other things on your to-do list.
This delicious soup is the perfect way to warm up and refuel for the week ahead. The recipe is packed with veggies and calls for pre-cooked sausage, as if it wasn’t already super easy! And if sausage (or kale) isn’t your thing, check out my Slow Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice Soup.
You can’t go wrong with either meal, and I think kids will love ’em too ;-)!
Now who’s ready to take on the week!?
Slow Cooker Kale and White Bean Soup with Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 pound cooked sausage (~4 links) - pork or chicken, whatever you prefer
- 1 tbsp olive oil - extra virgin
- 1 yellow onion - diced
- 1 cup carrots - chopped
- 1 cup celery - chopped
- 2 15 oz cans white beans - rinsed and drained
- 4 cups chicken stock - use reduced or low sodium to decrease the sodium content
- 2 cups water
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme - chopped
- 2 tsp dried parsley
- 3 to 4 cups kale - chopped
Instructions
- Dice the pre-cooked sausage into 1/2" circles. In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown the sausage for approximately 3 to 4 minutes to release flavors.
- Combine onions, carrots, celery, beans, stock, water, bay leaves, thyme, and oregano in a slow cooker.
- Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours, or until carrots and celery have softened to your liking.
- With ~30 minutes left, add kale and stir to encourage wilting.
- Top with grated parmesan cheese (optional) to serve. This will store well in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.
Notes
Nutrition
As always, I’d love to hear if you make this recipe! For more recipe inspiration, follow my Instagram and Pinterest.
Have a happy and healthy week!
Lizzie
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