Spicy Sausage, Potato and Kale Soup

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Fall is here and I admit to being a little bit sad about this. It seems like summer has gone like the wind and here we are, left with rainy days and the slow death of summer’s bloom. The saving grace is that it’s now time for all the comfort foods of fall and winter, like this rich and flavorful sausage, potato, and kale soup that my daughter has been begging for.

Original Publish Date: 12/16/2013

There’s something comforting about being in the kitchen. When the days start getting shorter and increase in dreariness, I find myself in the kitchen.

I find it cathartic to chop, slice, and dice food for meal preparation.

To focus on the bright colors of fresh produce instead of a gray sky.

To revel in the potent scent of herbs and spices instead of damp earth.

To stir… to taste… to smell… tantalizing to eye, to tastebuds, to nose.

And finally, to savor. Comfort food… the perfect way to end a dreary chilly day. As spoonful after spoonful, flavors that have melded together explode in my mouth, melting away the cares of a day that weighted me down for far too long. And finally, in the silence, in the peace, there is calm.

Spicy Sausage, Potato and Kale Soup

Print Recipe

• Author: Heather McCurdy
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 60 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hours 15 minutes
• Yield: 8 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 lb. sausage, links or rope sausage
• 9 medium potatoes
• 5 stalks of kale
• 1 medium-large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, diced
• 6 cups water
• 2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 6 slices bacon

Instructions

1. Cut sausage links into 1/4 inch thick rounds and fry in a 6 – 8 quart stockpot.
2. Peel and thinly slice potatoes.
3. De-stem and roughly chop the kale.
4. Once sausage is almost cooked through, add chopped onion, diced garlic, oregano, and crushed red pepper flakes.
5. Cook until softened.
6. Add potatoes and kale, then cover with water, put the lid on, and simmer.
7. Tear kale leaves in rough pieces, pulling off stalk.
8. Add them to the sausage. Add water to half an inch above the potatoes.
9. Cook on medium until potatoes are soft.
10. Meanwhile, fry the bacon.
11. Crumble the bacon then add to soup, reserving 1/3 for garnish.
12. Add milk and cook for 10 more minutes. Do not boil as the milk will curdle.
13. Serve hot or refrigerate overnight for a thicker soup the next day.

Cook’s Note:

I love, love, love Zuppa Toscana.  Yes, it deserves 3 “loves”. Maybe even 4 or 5. I do not love, love, love going to Olive Garden all the time and spending $6 for a bowl of my favorite soup so I have been working on my own version for the last few years and have it just where I want it. My family enjoys it too and we found that day 1 is yummy and day 2 is even yummier. We love this spicy sausage, potato, and kale soup served with cornbread or these easy biscuits. Add 1/4 cup shredded cheddar and a pinch of dried parsley to the biscuits for a biscuit that will remind you of another restaurant’s.

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