Featured Recipe: Kale Soup

In Portuguese homes around the Bay area, there are as many ways to prepare kale soup as there are Avos (grandmothers) to make them!  This version comes from a family who emigrated from Sao Miguel island in the Azores.

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, chopped (yellow, white or sweet)
• 1-2 cloves garlic, sliced (to your taste)
• olive oil to saute (about 2-3 tbsp., to taste)
• one bunch kale, chopped into bite-size pieces (slice out the main rib if you prefer)
• 3 potatoes, peeled and cut into bit-size pieces
• 1/2 lb. linguica, sliced (Portuguese sausage.  You may substitute chorizo to achieve a similar result)
• 1 quart low-sodium chicken broth (water is okay but broth will be more flavorful)
• 1 can kidney beans  (15 oz.)

Directions:

1.) Saute the onion and garlic in oil till translucent.  Add the potatoes and saute about 3-4 minutes, stirring to keep them from sticking to the pan.

2.)  Meanwhile, simmer the sliced sausage for 10-12 minutes till the fat comes out. Set the sausage aside.

3.)  Add the broth to the potato-onion mixture and simmer about 25-20 minutes.  The potatoes should be beginning to get soft, but not mushy.

4.)  Add the kale and kidney beans.  Cook 5-8 minutes till the kale is a bright green and tender to the bite.

To serve: ladle into soup bowls. Pass around a loaf of rustic-style bread and some hearty cheese.  To serve it in the style of the Azores, add a splash at the table:  your choice of olive oil, port, or red wine.  It’s also very refreshing with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Vegetarians! Skip the meat and use vegetable broth instead of chicken.  You may wish to add some sea salt to make up for the salt in the meat and broth.