White Bean Sausage Ragout with Tomatoes, Mushrooms, and Kale

I was getting a bit tired of my usual soups and wanted to try something different.  And with the cold weather sticking around longer than I'd like, I was in the mood for something hearty.  And what's more satisfying on a dreary wintery day than sausages and beans!  I also liked the heartiness that the kale adds to this.  I made this around the time of the faux snow storm here that they were calling Snowquester that was a total bust.  But at least I had a day off from work and so I made this ragout and a loaf of bread and had a cozy day with the pugs - perfection!

Servings: 4 (but for me this is 2 meals).

Ingredients:
1/2 cup onion, chopped
3 chicken sausage links, sliced
6 cups kale, trimmed
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1/2 cup chicken broth, low sodium
2 (16 ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions:

• Heat Dutch oven over medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray.
• Add 1/2 cup onion, 3 sausages.  Cook for 4 minutes or until sausage is browned, stirring occasionally.
• Add 3 garlic cloves and cook for additional 2 minutes.
• Add 6 cups kale, trimmed, 1/2 cup chicken broth, 2 cans cannellini beans, 1 can diced tomatoes,1/2 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, salt and pepper to taste, and 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional).  Bring mixture to a boil.  Then cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Serve while hot and enjoy! (I like to add a few splashes of Tabasco sauce to each bowl and eat with freshly baked bread).

We all thoroughly enjoyed the Snowquester!

And there's Rosy photo bombing as she scrounges for dropped food and crumbs on the floor.

Adapted from My Recipes.