I don’t know about you, but I have never been all that fond of kale. Maybe it is the crinkly edges on the leaves. The taste is fine, but I don’t like that odd texture. So if you are weird about kale like I am, just go ahead and substitute either spinach or Swiss chard. Either one would provide the desired bulk and nutrients.

This soup is really a meal-in-a-bowl, so you don’t need to serve anything with it. Appetizing garnishes would be some big garlic croutons, crumbled bacon and sliced green onions. A nice crusty bread, that you could slice thick and slather with butter or dunk in the soup, would be the perfect accompaniment.

 

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. hot Italian ground sausage

1 bag Simply Potatoes diced potatoes and onions (can substitute with 1 diced yellow onion and 4 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed)

2 large cloves garlic, minced

32 oz. chicken stock

½ bunch kale (a couple of handfuls), de-stemmed and torn into bite sized pieces

1 cup heavy cream

2 Tbsp. flour

Salt and pepper, to taste

Pinch of red pepper flakes, optional

 

INSTRUCTIONS

To Make in Slow Cooker

Heat large sauté pan over medium high heat and brown sausage.

Add minced garlic and stir to combine.

Drain off the grease and then add sausage and garlic to the bottom of slow cooker.

Add bag of diced potatoes and onion (or substituted russet potatoes and diced onion), cover with chicken stock and water (if necessary) to completely cover potatoes and sausage.

Cover and cook on LOW for 5-6 hours or HIGH for 3-4 (potatoes should be soft)

30 minutes before serving, whisk together heavy cream and flour until well mixed. Pour into slow cooker, add kale and stir to combine.

Cover and cook on HIGH for 30 minutes until soup has thickened slightly.

Taste, season according to your tastes, and serve.

 

To Make on Stovetop

In your Dutch oven or large soup pot, brown the Italian sausage and red pepper flakes over MED-HIGH heat. The last minute or two, add minced garlic. Drain.

Add chicken stock and bag of diced potatoes and onion (or substituted russet potatoes and diced onion), bring to a boil.

Keep at a low boil for about 20 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender (this time will vary based on your stove).

Whisk flour and heavy cream and add to pot, stirring to combine.

Add in kale, stir, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for about 5-10 minutes (or until soup has thickened slightly).

Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

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Quick Tip:  Using cornstarch instead of flour to whisk into your heavy cream at the very end will quickly thicken your soup without the presence of that raw flour taste. Your results will be creamy and smooth. Just make sure that you watch the soup very carefully, and stir it constantly, as cornstarch thickens liquids much more quickly than flour.

Recipe and image courtesy of Amanda at The Chunky Chef