Kale Pesto Soup with White Beans & Sausage

I made a big batch of kale pesto awhile ago and froze a few servings. I was thinking about uses for this flavor-packed sauce other than on pasta. I added some to soup in place of the traditional chopped kale in soup with white bean and sausage. This soup is comforting, super flavorful, and such a balanced meal.

The Three Bite Rule - Kale Pesto
This was ideal for a lunch on a cool day and then I packed the other servings up to bring for lunch at work. This whole packing-lunch thing is tricky as I was out of the habit when I got lunch at work. Soups have been good for lunch variety and I love that it doesn’t have to be made in a mass quantity.

The Three Bite Rule - Kale Pesto Soup

Kale Pesto Soup with White Beans & Sausage (for ~4 servings)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup kale pesto
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 small potatoes
2 cups fresh spinach
1 can white beans
1-2 links chicken sausage

Directions:

Heat broth in a large pot over low heat.
Cook the potato. Chop the sausage and the spinach. Rinse the beans.
Add everything to the broth and cook for 30 minutes.
The Three Bite Rule - Kale Pesto Soup
Serve & enjoy!
The Three Bite Rule - Kale Pesto Soup
This had such amazing flavor from the pesto. I used spinach as the greens in there for more mild flavor and texture but any other would work well too. I only had 1 sausage link so I upped the beans and potato.

I have a cocktail-mocktail coming up next. Stay tuned!

Sweet & Smokey Chili

Tis the season for all the cold-weather food. I wanted to re-do chili with a sweeter approach using some maple and sweet potato. Seriously, your next batch of chili neeeeds sweet potato. Even spicy chili benefits from a touch of sweetness and variety from the beans.

The Three Bite Rule - Sweet & Smokey Chili
I topped it with shredded cheddar and corn chips. It was great, and ensures plenty of leftovers! I prepped and cooked it a bit one night, then cooked again when serving it. The little one was into it! He loves beans but isn’t always loving foods all cooked together. Anything served with chips is a win with him!

Ingredients: (for ~6 servings)

1 lbs ground chicken/pork/turkey (I used ground pork this time)
1 large onion, diced
1, 28 oz can ground tomato
1, 4 oz can green chilis
1, 15.5 oz can kidney beans (with liquid, I used low sodium)
1, 15.5 oz can black beans (with liquid, I used low sodium)
1 clove of garlic, diced
2 tbs cumin powder
2 tbs chili powder
2 tbs onion powder
2 tbs black pepper
1 tbs salt
1 cup water
2 tsp liquid smoke
1/4 cup maple syrup

Directions:

Brown the ground meat then drain off the grease in a large pot.
In the same pan, saute the onion until caramelized and golden brown.
Then return the meat into the pot over medium-low heat, and add in the ground tomatoes, beans, garlic, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, pepper, salt, water, and liquid smoke.
The Three Bite Rule - Sweet & Smokey Chili
Stir well.
Cook the sweet potato, then chop and add into the chili.
The Three Bite Rule - Sweet & Smokey Chili
Simmer over low for 30-60 minutes. (I cooked it for 30 minutes, then refrigerated, and cooked again when serving it.)
The Three Bite Rule - Sweet & Smokey Chili
I loved the flavors without the heat. The sweet potato makes it filling, chunky, and flavorful. It freezes well too!

Creamless Tomato Soup

I’m back! I was just too crazy to blog during my busiest time at work. I’m proud to say it was a success and now I’m super ready to embrace the season! I made this Creamless Tomato Soup as a super quick lunch that I thought was especially nice after a filling holiday weekend. There isn’t any cream or bread to thicken this soup and the white beans add that element with the bonus of some protein. Now you just need a grilled cheese!

The Three Bite Rule - Creamless Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1, 28 oz can Kitchen Ready tomatoes
1, 15 oz can white beans, rinsed
salt & pepper
2 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped
1/4 cup red wine, optional

Directions:

Saute the garlic in a little olive oil in a heavy pot, over low heat for about 2-4 minutes.
Add in the tomato paste, kitchen ready tomatoes, white beans, and salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.
The Three Bite Rule - Creamless Tomato Soup
Blend either with an immersion blender, or carefully labeled into a blender or food processor.
Return to the pot and add in the oregano. Cook for another 5 minutes on low.
(Optional: add in some veggie stock or water if too thick.)
Serve and enjoy!
The Three Bite Rule - Creamless Tomato Soup
I think the herbs make this soup.

Lasagna Soup

I was feelin’ lasagna but wanted to speed it up and not have to bake it forever. This soup was quick and hit all the flavors I wanted! I went a tiny bit heavy handed with the red wine, so I cooked it down a bit to mellow that out. The dollop of ricotta allowed me to gently swirl it around to melt with the meaty bites and the wavy noodles.

The Three Bite Rule - Lasagna Soup

Ingredients:

2 Italian Sausage links
4 lasagna noodles
28oz can Pastene Kitchen Ready Tomatoes
1 tbs garlic, minced
3 tbs cup red wine
1 tbs Italian seasoning
1 tbs Parmesan cheese, grated
3 tbs ricotta cheese

Directions:

In a large skillet, remove the casing and cook the sausage over medium heat. Break up the pieces with the back of a wooden spoon. Cook just until cooked through.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add in the lasagna noodles.
Drain the sausage and add it to a heavy pot with the canned tomatoes, garlic, wine, and Italian seasoning over medium heat.
When the pasta is al dente, drain and cut in half lengthwise, then into 1/2 inch pieces (think spoon size).
The Three Bite Rule - Lasagna Soup
Stir well and reduce heat. Taste and add salt as needed and Parmesan.
The Three Bite Rule - Lasagna Soup
Serve with a dollop of ricotta. Enjoy!
The Three Bite Rule - Lasagna Soup
This is totally the speedy way to have the taste of lasagna without all the steps. I made this just before vacation so I also appreciated not having a lot of leftovers, or filling up the freezer. I have a serious love affair with ricotta so this was right up my ally. I would also try it in individual ramekins with ricotta at the bottom and mozzarella on the top. How fun would those be?!

Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

I don’t make soup often enough and this was one I made in stages. It was really good practice to cook in shifts of however long the little one was napping. I baked the chicken when I had the oven on for dinner one night and I made the rice the next morning when I had a few minutes. This soup was so easy and one I’ll definitely make again.

The Three Bite Rule - Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients: (makes ~4 servings)

4 chicken thighs
wild rice
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup water
5 carrots (approx. 2 cups)
1/2 cup milk or cream (I used 1% milk)
1/2 tsp dried thyme

Directions:

Bake chicken until cooked through. (I used a few boneless, skinless thighs and a few drumsticks and then made some broth from the drumstick bones). Cut the chicken into spoon-sized chunks. Prepare rice according to the package directions. (I used Near East Long Grain & Wild Rice Mix which definitely added to the soup flavor).
In a large pot, add the chicken, rice, and broth over low heat.
The Three Bite Rule - Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
Cut up the carrots into coins (steam/boil/cook first if eating the soup upon completion, or let raw carrot pieces cook in the soup if you’ll let it simmer longer).
Add the carrots, thyme, & water to the pot.
The Three Bite Rule - Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
Cook for 20 minutes then add the milk/cream. (Cook longer if the carrots are raw).
The Three Bite Rule - Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
Taste and season with salt & pepper as needed. I didn’t add any salt because the rice mix had a flavor packet that seemed like plenty.

I loved this. I went heavy on the carrots but you could add celery, onions, or whatever veggies you have. The thyme is what makes me think warm, comfort food like stuffing or pot pie.

Add more water when warming any leftovers.
The Three Bite Rule - Chicken & Wild Rice Soup