Teriann Carty

The night before you make the soup soak your beans. Cover the beans in up to 4 inches of water.

The next day, pour the beans and soaking water into a large pot. The beans will have expanded so make sure you have 3 inches of water covering the beans. Add salt, peppercorns and kombu. Bring to a boil. The beans will start to foam so skim off the foam using a spoon. Reduce heat to simmer and cook until al dente. Approximately 30-35 minutes. Drain the beans, discard the kombu and set aside.

In a large dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot and olive oil and chili flakes. Once oil starts to shimmer add onions, garlic, carrot and onion. Season with salt and cracked pepper and cover the pot with a lid. Cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally until vegetables are very soft.

Place sausage in the pot. Using a spoon, break up sausage into bite sized pieces. Cook until sausage starts to brown, then add diced potato. Saute for several minutes. Stir to coat all the vegetables and sausage. Add beans and vegetable stock. Stir to incorporate and increase heat to boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium, cover partially (look for a gentle bubble) and cook for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, check the beans and potatoes. If beans are creamy and potatoes are tender, add the kale. Use a spoon to push kale into broth. Cover the pot partially again until kale is wilted. Add 1/2 cup vegan parmesan (or real..see notes for more on that), check for seasoning and either serve right away or let the soup sit until ready to serve.