Portuguese Kale Soup

By Nalli

This soup came from our Victory Gardens Vegetable Cook Book, a much used and appreciated gift from Deb Courtney when Mark and I were married in August, 1979.

Ingredients

• 1 lb kale
• 1 lb potatoes
• 1 lb smoked sausage (linguica or chorizo)
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 2 tsp chopped garlic
• 2 Tb olive oil
• 2 Tb butter
• 2 qt chicken broth or combination of beef and chicken
• 3 lb peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups cooked kidney beans
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation

Step 1

Strip the leaves from washed kale, and cut diagonally into wide slices. You should end up with 6-8 cups of lightly packed kale. Wash, peel, and chop potatoes, and keep in cold water. Prick sausage; blanch in boiling water for 5 - 10 minutes to release fat, drain; cut into ½-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 – 20 minutes or until the 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 - 15 minutes longer, season to taste.