Tuscan Sausage Kale Soup in the Pressure Cooker

Serves 10 in about 1 hour. The pressure cooker brings lg bay leaf and chicken broth low together.

Ingredients

• 1 lb hot ground sausage
• 1 lb regular ground sausage
• 1 lg onion, chopped
• 1 lg bay leaf
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
• 2 tsp fennel seeds (crush them a little)
• 1 tbsp italian seasoning
• 6 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced (1 1/2 tbsp)
• 2 ribs celery, diced (use some of the leaves if you have them, too)
• 2 carrots, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
• 2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, with juice
• 2 (15 oz) cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
• 4 cups chicken broth, low sodium
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 2-3 cups kale, chopped

Method

1. Turn on the Sauté setting. Tip in the sausage and break it up. Leave it to it cook, while stirring now and then, for a few minutes.
2. Stir in the onion and bay leaf. Cook, while stirring now and then, for a few minutes, until onion starts to turn translucent.
3. At this point check to see if there is any excess grease from the sausage. If so, spoon it out with a serving spoon, or use a turkey baster, or stick a paper towel down in there to absorb it, then discard.
4. Tip in the red pepper flakes, fennel, Italian seasoning, and garlic. Cook, while stirring often, until garlic is fragrant (about 1 instant).
5. Stir in celery, carrots, diced tomatoes, and garbanzo beans. Stir.
6. Stir in chicken broth, salt, and pepper. Stir. Cancel the Sauté setting.
7. Close the lid and set the steam release knob to the Sealing position.
8. Press the Pressure Cook/Manual button or dial, then the +/- button or dial to select 5 minutes. High Pressure. The pot will take several minutes to come to pressure.
9. When the cook cycle has finished, turn off the pot and let it sit undisturbed for 20 minutes (20 instant natural release). Then turn the steam release knob to the Venting position to release the remaining steam/pressure.
10. When the pin in the lid drops back down, open the lid.
11. Very carefully stir the soup. Then taste and adjust salt if needed.
12. Tip in the kale into the hot soup and submerge it. Leave it to sit for a few minutes. The heat from the soup will wilt the kale.
13. Plate the soup with some crusty bread and parmesan cheese as a garnish.

More instant pot ideas are in the instant pot collection.