The Granola Escapades – Sausage & Kale Soup

My good friend Bethia suggested I make a soup with the kale I received in my first organic co-op share. I searched for some recipes and found one online that I liked but like any recipe I always have to change something, or in this case a lot of things. So here is what I ended up with…

1 Package Italian Sausage, cut up links or loose sausage
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
3/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 Medium Onion, Finely Chopped
4 Cloves Garlic, Minced
2 Teaspoons Paprika
1/4 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
1 Cup White Wine
2 Plumb Tomatoes, Chopped
5 Cups Chicken Broth
1 Bunch Kale, Ribs Removed and Chopped (about 8 cups)
1 Can Cannellini (or white) beans, rinsed
3 Yellow Potatoes, Cubed
5 Carrots, Cut Up
1/2 Celery Stalk, Chopped
1/2 Cup Milk
2 Tablespoons Flour

1. Heat oil in soup pot, add cut up sausage links (or loose sausage) and cook. Transfer to a plate and leave juices in the pot.

2. Add onion to the pot and cook until the onion is just a tad soft. Add garlic, paprika, crushed red pepper, and cook stirring occasionally.

3. Add wine and tomatoes, turn to high, and stir to remove any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add broth, carrots, celery, and potatoes and bring to a boil.

4. Mix flour and milk vigorously in a separate container (shaking them in a jar works great), add to pot, it thickens the soup a bit. Add kale and stir until it wilts. Reduce heat to a happy simmer and cook stirring occasionally until the kale, carrots, celery and potatoes are tender.

5. Stir in beans and cooked sausage (and any juices that have settled in your plate). Simmer until the beans and sausage are heated through.

6. Enjoy!

Bill even liked it and he is a self proclaimed soup hater! This makes a lot of soup so feel free to put them in containers and freeze. (I have a serving hidden in the back of the freezer for eating on a random cold blustery afternoon.)

Anyone have any other kale recipes?