Tuscan Potato-Kale Stew

Today I did something questionable in the kitchen, and it actually turned out pretty great.  I took a fairly elegant soup recipe and turned it into a chunky, hearty stew.  It doesn't look gorgeous, admittedly, but it tasted wonderful, and it was a remarkably satisfying bowl of yumminess.

This is a healthy, easy way to get a load of flavor into a bowl.  Potatoes, kale, and sausage are the three musketeers of soup, and everything that is good about them joins together to form a wonderful meal.  A little spicy, a little creamy, with earthy dark greens throughout - this is a winner.  And perfect for a cold evening.

Tuscan Potato-Kale Stew

adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

serves 3

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 hot Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed

handful of sage leaves, coarsely chopped

1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 1/4 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup finely grated parmesan

1 bunch of kale, stems removed, coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Heat oil in a medium-large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat.  Add sausage and sage leaves, and use a wooden implement to break up the sausage as it cooks.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until sausage browns and sage leaves get slightly crispy, about 4 minutes.  Scoop out the sausage and sage with a slotted spoon and set aside.

2.  Add onion and garlic to the pot and cook, stirring frequently, until onion softens and garlic becomes fragrant, about 3 minutes.  Add potatoes and season with salt and pepper.  Saute for about 2 minutes, then add chicken broth.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender.

3.  Puree the mixture carefully, using a food mill or immersion blender, or your preferred method.  Be sure to leave a good deal of texture - we don't want completely whipped potatoes here.   The mixture will be quite thick.  Return to low heat and stir in the milk and parmesan.

4.  Bring a separate pot of water to a boil and blanch the kale until bright green and somewhat tender, about 2 minutes.  Drain well, reserving about 1/4 cup of the cooking water.  Add the kale to the soup pot and stir.  If the soup is too thick, add the reserved kale cooking water.  Stir in reserved sausage and sage, and serve.

Enjoy!