February is American Heart Month, and we’re excited to debut a new take on a Happy Kitchen classic: White Bean and Kale Soup.
This soup has been a class participant favorite for years, and it’s a great heart-healthy choice. In our classes, we talk the importance of choosing healthy fats, lean protein, and low-sodium foods when it comes to preventing or managing heart disease. This soup does all of that!
The recipe uses a small amount of an unsaturated fat (canola oil) for sautéing the onions and garlic, and a small amount of turkey sausage. Turkey sausage is leaner than pork sausage and even a small amount adds big flavor while keeping fat and cholesterol in check. Plus, the recipe is seasoned with plenty of herbs and spices, so less salt is needed.
Sometimes we have class participants who are vegetarian, or just looking to eat less meat, but when we attempted to make this recipe vegetarian by eliminating the sausage, it was definitely missing something.
So, we doubled the beans and carrots and added a sweet potato, and voila! We now have a vegetarian version that is just as tasty as the original. Try one, try both, or make it all your own!