I often joke that I come from a long line of Portuguese women who don't cook. While this is partially true, there are some recipes that my family has made and passed down for generations that I cherish and will never make as well as my mother does. However, sometimes all you need is a couple of key ingredients to make a meal feel "Portuguese enough." I've been making a white bean and sausage soup in my Instant Pot for about a year now. It was a recipe I found on Pinterest that has made it's way into my weekly rotation. I've tweaked it here and there and now I truly feel like I've made it my own by adding Linguica, a spicy Portuguese sausage, as well as russet potatoes, and kale. I'm putting this one down in the family recipe book. It's hearty, filling, and tastes like home.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped baby carrots
3 stalks celery
1/2 lg yellow onion, diced
3 cloves minced garlic
2-3 russet potatoes, quartered
Linguica (this is a spicy Portuguese sausage. Harris Teeter sells the Gaspar's brand.) - I used two "ropes," sliced into 1" rounds
2 cans white beans (can be navy beans, cannellini beans, or great northern beans)
4 cups chicken broth
3 cups Kale
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Set Instant Pot to saute setting. Add olive oil and saute linguica until it begins to brown.

2. Add carrots, celery, onion, and potato. Saute for a few minutes. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix together.

3. Add chicken broth & stir. Allow to begin to simmer.

4. Add white beans & stir.

5. Cancel the saute function on your Instant Pot and set pot to pressure cook for 5 minutes on high pressure. The pot should take several minutes to come to pressure. 

6. Once the 5 minutes is up, allow the pot to sit and naturally release for 10 minutes, then manually release the remaining pressure. 

7. Add Kale and stir into soup until slightly wilted.

8. Serve & enjoy with a crusty buttered bread!

Does your family have any recipes that have been passed down? Have you added any of your own to the list? Share with us in the comments or on our socials @mommysblockparty. Let us know if you decide to try this yummy soup for yourself!