Turmeric Sweet Potato Soup with Sausage Beans and Greens

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

Servings

2 tbsp olive oil, divided
8 oz raw or bulk sausage*
1 bell pepper, chopped small**
2 stalks celery, chopped small**
1 ½ tsp kosher salt, divided
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp black pepper
1-2 cloves garlic, smashed
5 cups water
12 oz sweet potatoes (about 2 medium), peeled, halved lengthwise and cut into thin (⅛-¼-inch thick) half moons or small bite-sized cubes (about 2.5-3 cups)
8 oz mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 (15 oz) can black beans (about 1.5 cups)***
1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
2-3 cups chopped or thinly sliced kale
4 egg yolks, for topping****
Fresh herbs, for topping (any herbs - scallions, cilantro, parsley, etc…)
*Bulk raw sausage works best, but you can also buy the pre-cooked sausage and slice it thinly before browning (you won’t have to cook it as long either).
**You could sub the bell pepper and/or celery with onion or carrot. You just want about 2 cups worth of “aromatic veggies”.
***Replace the beans with more sausage (1 lb total).
****Save your whites! Add them to your morning egg scramble or take it as a sign to make French Chocolate Mousse! Alternatively, you can top the soup with a whole fried egg, so long as the yolk is very runny.

In a large pot over medium-high heat, warm 1 tablespoon oil. Add the sausage, break into chunks, spread them out, and cook undisturbed for about 2-3 minutes or until deeply browned. Then stir it up and continue to cook until cooked through, breaking into bite-sized pieces and reducing the heat as needed. Transfer to a bowl.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pot over medium heat. Stir in the bell pepper, celery, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook for about 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in the fennel, turmeric, pepper, and garlic for 30 seconds, then add the water, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, beans, soy sauce and remaining 1 teaspoon salt.
Bring to a boil, then simmer rapidly over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through, stirring every 5 minutes to ensure the potatoes are getting cooked evenly.
Turn off the heat and stir in the kale.
Serve the soup topped with the sausage, an egg yolk, fresh herbs, and black pepper. Stir the yolk into the hot soup for a velvety broth!

Substitutions:

To make vegetarian, skip the sausage or replace it with a vegetarian sausage. If skipping sausage all together, I’d suggest adding 2 tbsp tomato paste in with the spices and cook it for a couple minutes to caramelize. Also, add extra garlic and an extra teaspoon of fennel seeds.
If you’re not into mushrooms, leave them out and reduce the water to 4.5 cups.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Store sausage separately.

Warm the soup up on the stove or in the microwave until warmed through. Top with sausage, egg yolk, herbs, etc…
Put a whole fried egg with a runny yolk on top!