Italian Sausage Kale Soup

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage and cook for about 8 minutes, breaking into chunks with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through. Remove the sausage from the pan using a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. Discard all but 1 1/2 tablespoons of the grease in the pan.

Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic and cook for 5-6 minutes until softened.

Add the tomatoes and chicken bone broth to the pan, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the sausage back to the pan along with the bay leaf, thyme, rosemary and beans, and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are nearly tender.

Add the kale and cook until wilted, about 5-10 minutes.

Remove the pan from heat and remove the bay leaf, thyme and rosemary sprigs. Stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and top with parmesan cheese if desired. Enjoy!