Sausage Kale Soup Recipe!! For Liz...

I like food blogs *almost* as much as I like getting a good deal... And when I find a good deal on an ingredient in something I like to cook....WOO HOOOO!! So here's how it all started:

It was on sale!!! How can you resist a 50% OFF sticker on meat?! {That's how I shop... What's that?? Meat on sale? Little markdown sticker?? YES PLEASE!!} I've also used plain, pork breakfast sausage. Both types are yummy! So, that's how it happened. Sausage on sale...Sausage Kale Soup. Plus...Liz asked me for the recipe. How convenient! :]

First things first...Brown it. Chop it.

 

 

Pour it in a large pot... terribly fatting fat drippings and all! {It gives it lots of flavor!}

Crank up the heat to medium high.

 

 

Add 6 cups of water. And get that baby boiling!

{Hubby likes thick soup. I just like soup. If you like a thinner soup, add in a little more water...}

 

 

Then add in 1 1/2 tablespoons {or so} of this:

{you can also use regular chicken bouillon}

 

 

Chop up about 1/2 of an onion and toss it in, along with 2 potatoes...

 

 

Let it SIMMER!!! {sizzle, sizzle...}

 

 

Grab some milk and half and half, and measure out 1 cup of each into the same measuring cup.

 

 

 

Then, take some of the milk/half and half mixture and put it in a small bowl and pour in 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.... And mix...

 

 

 

Slowly whisk it into the boiling pot. It'll thicken pretty quickly. Once it thickens, pour in the rest of the milk/half and half and heat through. When it's nice and warm, turn down the heat. Milk gets offended if you boil it...

 

 

KALE! Here are some facts about this superfood...

• Kale is packed with antioxidants, which help neutralize harmful free radicals in the body. Some research suggests kale helps reduce the risk of certain cancers.
• One cup of chopped raw kale provides more than 100% of the daily value of vitamins A, C, and K.
• Kale contains lutein, a type of carotenoid (an organic pigment) responsible for the plant’s color and nutrients. Lutein helps keep eyes and vision healthy.

{http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/eight-healthy-facts-about-kale}

 

I like knowing this about kale, because it makes me feel healthy even when I'm eating a soup that has ingredients like "sausage fat" and "half and half"....

 

 

 

Anyway, chop it up {like you would Romaine lettuce} and plop it in:

 

 

This is my favorite part... Watching it turn BRIGHT green :]

 

 

Let it simmer just until the kale gets a little soft. It's not as appetizing if it's completely wilted. It's done when the leafy parts are flexible, but the hearts are still firm, somewhere around 5-7 minutes.

 

You'll probably want to use a few of my friends here... To taste!

 

 

Mmmmmmmmmm.....

 

 

Enjoy!!