A friend made this soup for my birthday years ago. I have adapted it over the years to my family’s tastes. It is a great way to use the kale we get from our CSA (Community Sourced Agriculture) each summer. Plus, it is SO good! This soup is easy to adjust to you and your family’s tastes.
One small tip: Freeze your kale flat in a freezer bag when it is in-season. For a soup it works great like this too! Not quite the same as fresh, but pretty close.
Also, while this can certainly be made in a standard pot, I find it cooks better in a Dutch oven.
4-6 slices of bacon
1/2 large, sweet onion, peeled and diced
1 lb bag of small carrots
2 garlic cloves, or approximately 1 tbsp of minced garlic
1 lb ground sausage (we prefer Italian, but any other is fine)
6 medium-to-large potatoes, diced (we like them skin on, but feel free to peel)
Approx 8 cups of chicken broth
1 large bundle of braising greens, stems removed & torn to bite size pieces (we usually use kale, but you can also use Swiss chard or mustard greens)
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp crushed red pepper, optional
- Cook bacon in the bottom of a pot or Dutch oven until crisp, but not burnt. Remove and put on a paper towel to absorb the grease.
- Set heat to medium. Add onion and garlic, stirring occasionally and cook until onions are translucent.
- Break up sausage and add to pot. Cook until lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes.
- Add potatoes, carrots, broth and crushed red pepper. Stir well and then bring to a boil.
- Lower heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, uncovered. Stir occasionally. It is done when the carrots and potatoes are fork tender.
- Add the greens and simmer for 5 more minutes. Then add cream, salt and pepper, and serve.
- Garnish with crumbled bacon.
Adapted from a recipe at relish.com
Denise's Fanciful Function 