Sausage & Kale Soup

The Thursday Dinner feature is back with a recipe I made while we were in Vermont visiting my family.


Much to my mom's hesitation, we decided to check out this recipe, with a few substitutions. Mom is not a huge kale fan, but because she loves me and she hates to cook, she was willing to let me experiment on her. Dad of course was enthusiastic about any form of food that I produced. So we dove in. This recipe is from Woman's Day magazine, although since it's a soup, we made a few modifications.


Ingredients:
8 oz fully-cooked smoked turkey sausage, sliced (we wound up using sweet italian turkey sausage and cooked it ourselves ahead of time on a George Foreman grill)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic
6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1 1/4 lb), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
12 oz fresh kale, stems removed and leaves chopped (8 cups)
crushed red pepper (optional)


Directions:
1. Heat a 5-quart pot over medium-high heat. Add sausage and saute 5 minutes or until browned.
2. Add onion and garlic; saute 3 minutes or until onion starts to soften. Add broth and bring to a boil.
3. Stir in potatoes and kale. Simmer, partially covered, 10 to 12 minutes or until potatoes and kale are tender. Serve with crushed red pepper, if desired.

Some festive, home-grown garlic. Isn't it cute?

Gahlic. To keep the vampires away. 

Sausage!!!

I think kale is pretty, don't you?

I have a fear of peeling potatoes, and my
momma loves me so she does it for me. 

I think I could make a meal out of just this portion. Hmm...

Mom also chops potatoes for me, because she's the best.

Hmm...reckon it will all fit??

Starting to look like soupy goodness.

My helper during the cooking process. Or should I say the eager vacuum cleaner.

My precious puppy. I keep trying to convince them to let me bring him to Maryland.

Soup!!! 

Looks lovely, don't you think?

The Verdict:

• Let's just say that Scott had three helpings, Dad could only make happy grunting noises, and Mom just kept repeating in shock...I actually REALLY like this!!! I'd say it's a keeper.
• We modified a bit, the main changes being the Italian sausage in place of the smoked sausage, and we wound up doubling the meat, putting in an entire 16 oz bag of kale, and adding two more small cans of broth. So it made quite a bit but I think that's just fine!
• I was feeling lazy and didn't de-stalk the kale. Pick up a 16-oz bag and tell me YOU feel like de-stalking it. Mom and I picked out the big "trees", but dad and Scott happily munched right through, comparing it to the trunk of a piece of broccoli. To each his own.

Overall, this was a delicious choice, so thank you Woman's Day magazine for another winning recipe! Also, don't tell the men, but kale is considered one of the super-foods, and is incredibly healthy. Shh...


Happy Thursday!