Sausage and Kale Bean Soup

Start by placing the beans into a large container and covering them with several inches of cool water. Allow the beans to soak at room temperature for 8 hours or overnight.

Drain and rinse the beans before proceeding with the recipe.

Next, fill a pressure cooker with 4 cups of water and add the soaked beans. Close the lid and cook until the beans are tender, approximately 25 minutes. Use the natural release method to release pressure and do not drain the beans.

In a separate pot, bring a large quantity of salted water to a boil. Cook the kale in boiling water until it turns bright green and becomes tender, around 2 minutes. Drain the kale in a strainer and cool it under cold running water. Set it aside for later use.

Heat some olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Cook the linguica sausage in hot oil, stirring occasionally, until it becomes nicely browned, roughly 5 minutes. Remove the sausage from the pot with a slotted spoon and set it aside for now.

Add some shallots to the same pot; cook and stir until they become soft, approximately 3 minutes. Pour in a small amount of chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pot.

Return the sausage to the pot. Add the soaked beans and their cooking liquid. Stir in some remaining chicken broth. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat to low and let it simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Add the cooled kale and cook for an additional 4 minutes or until it reaches your desired level of tenderness. Season the soup with some hot sauce, salt, and pepper to taste.