Today’s recipe is the first soup I ever tried to make (thanks Martha Stewart!) way back when. It’s also where I learned the trick to blend potatoes into your broth as a healthy, dairy-free swap out for adding cream to your soup. The recipe is quick, easy, and super yummy so enjoy!
BEST FOR- Cold days that you want a robust & creamy soup that takes minimal effort and zero dairy.
MUSICAL PAIRING- “Sympathy for the Devil” by The Rolling Stones
INGREDIENTS
(serves five)
1 tbs olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (or not if you really detest spicy)
8 small, waxy potatoes, cut in ½ inch chunks
54 oz. reduced sodium chicken broth
10 oz. kale (aka 1 trader joe’s organic tuscan kale bag)
12 oz sundried tomato chicken sausage, cut in half moon pieces (note)
4 carrots
3 stalks celery
1 bay leaf
salt & pepper
+ ½ sprig fresh rosemary to garnish each bowl served (you do your personal math)
DIRECTIONS
- Like stir fry or fried rice, soup moves fast so it’s best to do your prep work first. Cut the carrots, celery, kale (if you’re not using prepackaged), potatoes, garlic, onion, and sausage according to the ingredients list. You’ll thank yourself later when you’re not scrambling to keep up with the steps.
- Heat up 1 tbs olive oil in your soup pot. Add the onion, cooking for 2-3 minutes until soft. Then add garlic and red pepper (if you so choose). Cook for another minute, until fragrant. Add chicken broth, potatoes, carrots, and celery. Cover and bring to a boil (it wont be immediate because there’s a lot in the pot). Once boiling, add in bay leaf, cover, and reduce to a simmer. Let cook for 10- 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
- Puree half the soup in a blender. Make sure you leave enough of the ingredients in the pot so that the soup isn’t fully pureed (unless that’s what you’re going for) and DO NOT puree the bay leaf. You mainly want potatoes in the blender with the broth because the pureed potatoes are what gives the soup the creamy texture. Also, don’t fill the blender more than 2/3 of the way. It’s much better to have to do two batches of blending than have the blender explode soup everywhere (from personal experience).
- Once blended, add the pureed portion back into the pot and stir. Add sausage and kale, Simmer until kale is wilted, another 10-15 minutes. Ladle into bowls, garnish with fresh rosemary, and enjoy!
NOTES
- This soup is super versatile. Martha Stewart’s original recipe only has 8 ingredients- olive oil, onion, garlic, red pepper, potatoes, chicken broth, kale, and plain chicken sausage. I added the carrots, celery, bay leaf, and sundried tomato flavored sausage.
- On the note of sausage, I really recommend sundried tomato. I think it adds a little something extra. Any other heartily flavored sausage would work too.
- This soup could SO EASILY be made vegetarian by removing the sausage. It would still be super yummy too!
The Carmel Kama'aina 