Kale, Sweet Potato and Sausage Soup

When I made this kale, sweet potato and sausage soup (about a week ago!) it wasn’t quite yet soup weather. Sure, the mornings were cool, but the afternoons were sunny and warm — the kind of weather that is a total pain in the butt to dress for.

Since then, the calendar has turned to October, Hurricane Joaquin blew in sub-60 temperatures, long boots and scarves have made an appearance and there is no doubt that it is time for soup. This recipe comes courtesy of my sister Medha and her boyfriend Torrey, who made it last year and have been raving about it since. “It’s so easy!” they told me. “We make it all the time!”

Well, I’ll give them easy, but there’s a fair amount of prep work that goes into the soup-making process. I bought a HUGE bunch of kale from Fresh Direct, and removing the kale leaves and rinsing them took forever. Thankfully it is also football season, so I had something to watch while doing this semi-tedious task. (And seriously, that is the hardest part of this recipe, and could easily be avoided by buying those pre-rinsed bags of kale.)

The work is worth it though, since the soup is pretty freakin’ delicious. The kale gives the soup a nice “health halo,” but there’s enough chorizo to keep it from being too virtuous. The chorizo’s spicy kick balances the sweet potatoes nicely, and the soup is hearty without being heavy. It’s fall fare at its finest, and actually has me bringing lunch to work again!

Kale, Sweet Potato and Sausage Soup
Adapted from A Candid Appetite
Makes 6-8 servings

– 1 pound spicy chorizo, casings removed

– 2 tablespoons olive oil

– 1 large onion, chopped

– 3 garlic cloves, minced

– salt and pepper, to taste

– 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

– 1 large bunch kale, stemmed, rinsed and chopped (or 1 5-ounce box kale leaves)

– 2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch-thick half-moon slices

– 1 quart chicken broth or stock

1) Heat a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown the sausage, using a wooden spoon to break it up into crumbles. Remove the browned sausage from the pot and set aside on a plate.

2) Lower the heat to medium, add the oil, onions and garlic. Saute, scraping down the bottom of the pot to pick up the browned bits of sausage with the back of a wooden spoon, and cook until the onions are soft. Season with the salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes (if using).

3) Continue to saute until the onions have caramelized, an additional 10 minutes. Add the chopped kale in batches, allowing it to wilt down as it cooks. Once the kale has turned bright green and completely wilted down, add in the sliced potatoes and cooked sausage.

4) Add the chicken stock or broth and bring the soup to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Taste the soup and check seasonings, then serve.