Categories: Elyssa, January2012, Kale, Portuguese, Soups

Ingredients

• 1 pound kale
• 1 pound potatoes
• 1 pound smoked sausage (linguica or chorizo)
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 quarts chicken broth or a combination of beef and chicken
• 3 pounds peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes (I didn't peel or seed the tomatoes; I rarely take the time to do that)
• 1 1/2 cups cooked kidney beans (I use 1 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Strip the leaves from washed kale, and cut diagonally into wide slices. You should end up with 6 to 8 cups of lightly packed kale. Wash, peel, and chop potatoes, and keep in cold water. Prick sausage; blanch in boiling water for 5 to 10 minutes to release fat. Drain; cut into 1/2-inch slices; set aside. In a large saucepan, sauté onions, carrots, and garlic in oil and butter, cooking until softened, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes and broth, and simmer, partially covered, for 15 to 20 minutes or until potatoes are cooked. Mash the potatoes against the side of the pot (or purée with some of the broth and return to the pot). Stir in tomatoes and kidney beans, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Add the kale and sausage, cook 5 to 10 minutes longer, and season to taste. (Serves 6 to 8)

2. I said this was easy to make. Well, pretty easy, once you get past all the chopping. I don’t usually blanch the sausages and, as I noted above, I don’t usually peel and seed the tomatoes either. That reduces both the effort involved and the number of pots that need washing. With a glass of red wine and some crusty bread, this soup can’t be beat. And if you want to make it vegetarian, just omit the sausage (and the butter, if you like) and use vegetable stock; you’ll still have a gorgeous, hearty meal.

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