Next time you’ve got a bunch of kale sitting around and you want to try something different, give this recipe a shot. It’s easy, delicious, and inexpensive. It’s our version of the traditional Portuguese soup with a couple of twists that make it extra yummy. You might want to make extra, as this soup is always better the day after you make it
8 oz Spanish Chorizo, diced (or chouriço, or linguiça, or bacon or guanciale from Hapa Ramen)
2 ea Onions, diced (from Arata Farms)
4 ea Garlic Cloves, thinly sliced (more if you’re using bacon or guanciale)
8-10 ea Small Potatoes, medium dice (nicola potatoes from Happy Boy Farms work beautifully, or any other small waxy potato)
1 bu Kale, stemmed and cut into 1″x4″ strips (from Blue House Farm or Tomatero Farm, we like using green curly kale)
1 tb Pimentón (smoked spanish paprika)
Start by adding a splash of olive oil (from Olive Healthy) into a pot over medium-high heat. Throw in your diced pork product and turn down the heat to medium to let the fat render. After a couple of minutes add the garlic and stir. At this point, we like to add a healthy pinch of red pepper flakes to add some heat, but feel free to leave them out if you don’t like spice (at this point you could also a bay leave or two if you’re so inclined). After another minute or two, add the onions and the pimentón, stir and let cook until the onions have softened. Toss in the potatoes and about two quarts of water (you can substitute homemade stock here if you like, but keep in mind this soup was born out of poverty) and turn the heat up to high to bring to a boil. Once the soup is boiling, turn down to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are completely done, about 20 minutes. While the potatoes are cooking, season the broth with salt and pepper. We also like to add a splash of sherry vinegar (you can use red wine vinegar if you don’t have sherry vinegar) and a little bit of honey, about 2 tablespoons, to round out the spiciness of the soup and the bitterness of the kale. When the potatoes are cooked, add the kale and cook for a few more minutes until the kale is tender. Once done, serve with some toasted and buttered crusty bread (hello Arizmendi!) and a little more olive oil on top of the soup. Et Voila!
