Kale with White Beans and Sausage

Quick and easy, this kale sautéed with white beans and sausage recipe will convert kale skeptics. Garlic and onion up the savory factor of this hearty bowl of goodness.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated April 14, 2022
Elise Bauer
Quick Kale, Sausage, and White Beans
Elise Bauer

"You've converted me into a kale lover," a friend declared after eating a hearty bowl of this kale with sausage and white beans.

Yay! I love it when I hear things like this.

At our house a green vegetable is always served with dinner, and half the time it's some sort of green like chard, kale, spinach, mustard greens, or collards.

It's my not-so-secret mission in my heart of hearts to convert everyone to loving their greens.

Of course, it's hard to go wrong when you mix kale with Italian sausage and white beans. But, baby steps people. Baby steps.

More Kale Recipes to Love

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Kale with White Beans and Sausage

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Servings 4 to 6 servings

We used curly kale for this recipe, but you could use any kale, as well as chard, turnip greens, beet greens, or collards. A splash of vinegar (sherry, red wine, cider) is a nice touch right at the end of cooking.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  • 1/2 pound bulk sweet or spicy Italian sausage

  • 1 onion, sliced thin (about 1 1/2 cups sliced onions)

  • 2 large cloves garlic, sliced thin

  • 1 pound kale (1 large bunch), stemmed and roughly chopped

  • 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock

  • 1 (15-ounce) can white beans, rinsed and drained, or 1 1/2 cups cooked white beans

  • Salt and pepper

  • Splash of vinegar (cider, red wine, or sherry vinegar)

Method

  1. Cook the sausage:

    Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat and add the bulk sausage; if you can't find bulk sausage, remove the casings on the links.

    Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the sausage is mostly cooked. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl.

    sautéing sausage
    Elise Bauer
  2. Cook the onions and garlic:

    Add the onion slices to the pan and increase the heat to high. Cook until the edges of the onions brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

    Return the sausage to the pan with the onions.

    sautéing onions and sausage
    Elise Bauer
  3. Add the kale, salt, chicken stock:

    Add the kale, sprinkle salt over everything, then add the chicken stock. Cover the pan, lower the heat to medium and cook for 2 minutes.

    sautéed kale
    Elise Bauer
  4. Add the beans:

    Uncover, mix everything well (the kale will have cooked down by now) and add the beans.

    Cover the pot again and lower the heat to low. Cook another 5 minutes, then turn off the heat.

    Let stand 5 minutes, sprinkle with a splash of vinegar and serve.

    cooking kale, white beans, and sausage
    Elise Bauer
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
269 Calories
16g Fat
20g Carbs
14g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 269
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g 20%
Saturated Fat 5g 23%
Cholesterol 22mg 7%
Sodium 379mg 16%
Total Carbohydrate 20g 7%
Dietary Fiber 5g 17%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 14g
Vitamin C 32mg 161%
Calcium 109mg 8%
Iron 3mg 17%
Potassium 590mg 13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.