Pork Fat Rocks, Exhibit A
Posted by betsyjo
It’s winter in the Midwest, which causes me to seriously doubt some of my life choices. Why would one choose to live in a place where the sun doesn’t shine for a week at a time? When there are plenty places in the world where people don’t have to worry about wind chills and temperatures below zero, why do I live in Illinois, of all places? But, the silver lining is that I love soup. Not only is it filling and warming, but it freezes well and is great for taking to work. What more could you ask for?
So I present to you tonight’s dinner. Yes, this particular Friday night, I stayed in, made soup, and ate KALE. It’s rough living such a glamorous life. This soup starts out with sausage, which definitely makes the soup. The kale is good – this is only the second time I’ve cooked with it – but I might prefer this soup with zucchini or spinach (just barely cooked). Or maybe I needed to chop the kale a little more; it doesn’t cook down as much as spinach. In any case, thought I would share because this is a really easy recipe that turned out pretty tasty!
modified from Fine Cooking, Via Serious Eats
1 lb. sweet or hot bulk Italian sausage, broken into bite-sized pieces
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (1-1/2 cups)
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped (3/4 cup)
1 medium celery stalk, finely chopped (3/4 cup)
1-1/2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
2 Tbs. tomato paste
2 large cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)
1 quart homemade or lower-salt chicken broth
Two 15-oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
6 oz. Lacinato kale, center ribs removed, leaves chopped (about 4 firmly packed cups)
1 Parmigiano-Reggiano rind (1×3 inches; optional)
1-1/2 tsp. cider vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Heat 1 Tbs. of the oil in a 4- to 5-quart pot over medium heat. Add the sausage, crumbling. Cook until browned about 8 minutes.
- Add the onion, carrot, celery, and rosemary and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 6 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and garlic and cook until fragrant, 45 seconds. Add the broth, beans, kale, and Parmigiano rind (if using). Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer gently until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
- Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook 5 minutes more to meld the flavors. Stir the cider vinegar into the soup and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serves 4.