Potato Soup with Kale and Sausage
This soup is inspired by caldo verde, a traditional Portuguese soup made with potatoes and thinly sliced kale. Dinosaur kale, also called Tuscan kale, has flat, narrow crinkled leaves and a sweet, mild flavor compared to other kale. Serve this hearty soup with crusty whole-grain bread and chilled amber ale.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbs. olive oil
- 12 oz. fully cooked spicy turkey or chicken sausage, cut into slices 1/4 inch thick
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 lb. waxy potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1/4 tsp. salt, plus more, to taste
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper, plus more, to taste
- 1 bunch dinosaur kale
- 2 cups shredded green cabbage
Directions
In a large pot over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate.
Add the onion and garlic to the pot and cook, stirring often, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes, reducing the heat if needed to prevent scorching. Add the wine and boil, scraping up the browned bits from the pot bottom, until almost evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes.
Return the sausage to the pot and add the broth, potatoes, the 1/4 tsp. salt and the 1/4 tsp. pepper. Increase the heat to high, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, about 15 minutes.
Tear out and discard the tough center ribs from the kale leaves and slice the leaves into thin ribbons. Add the kale and cabbage to the soup and simmer, uncovered, until the greens are tender to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into warm bowls and serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Eat Well, by Charity Ferreira (Oxmoor House, 2008).