My Kale Soup

We got kale in our veg box this week; fresh, whole kale leaves, still on the stalk. This is notable because, so far, I haven't been able to find whole kale leaves at the grocery store. For some reason it comes in plastic bags, pre-shredded (which is fine). But, with the stalks (ugh).

I was so excited to see fresh kale that I had to make kale soup. Immediately.

This recipe is my version of what Grandad used to make:

Ingredients

extra-virgin olive oil, 1 small sweet onion (chopped), kosher or sea salt, 1 large carrot (sliced diagonally), 1 small/medium potato (chopped), 2 spicy Italian sausages, 1 (15 oz.) can garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed), 1 (28 oz.) can plum tomatoes, 4 cups chicken broth, 3 tbs. Worcestershire Sauce, 1/4 tsp. Thyme, 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes, large bunch of flat leaf parsley (chopped), large bunch of kale

Directions

Pour some olive oil into a warm pan. Turn the heat to medium high. Throw in onions and cover, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown. Then, add the carrots and potatoes. Stir, cover, and cook. Once they begin to soften, add salt to taste.

While the onions are cooking, cook the sausages in a separate pan until they begin to brown and can retain their shape. They should be 3/4 cooked. Pull them from the pan and slice them. Then, stir the sausage pieces into the onion, carrot, potato mix. Cover.

When the sausage is cooked, add the garbanzo beans, tomatoes, chicken broth, Worcestershire, thyme, parsley, and red pepper. Stir. Bring to a boil and let simmer.

When you're nearly ready to serve, tear the crinkley edges off of the kale leaves and drop them into the pot (discard stalks). Stop occasionally to poke the leaves under the surface of the soup. Allow to boil for a few minutes. Don't over-cook the kale. 

If needed, add more Worcestershire Sauce and red pepper flakes (I usually do).

I like to serve this soup in big rustic bowls because it reminds me of eating it with Grandad, on rainy Cape Cod days.

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