It was my husband John's birthday last week and we went on a gondola ride through the canals in Venice Italy..........no wait.........it was in Naples California. But it felt a lot like Italy. I have been to Venice once, back in 1972..........but that's a story for another time.
We ate our lunch at the Macaroni Grill in Seal Beach, California. I had what they call the 'Board Soup'........which I found out means, the 'soup of the day'. It was Italian Sausage with Kale soup. It was so delicious.........that I had to come home and re create it. Fortunately I found Italian sausage at 50% off, so that closed the deal for me.
Kale is the new rage in vegetables. You would think it has a strong taste by the look of it, but its mild just like spinach. It is being praised for its high vitamins and mineral content. The only problem I have with this soup is its summer right now, and soup is kind of a winter food........oh well.
The ingredients you'll need are:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
1 large stalk of celery, sliced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 lb of Italian sausage
1 Tbsp tomato paste
fresh basil, small bunch chopped or 1 tsp dried basil
2 qts chicken broth and or water
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 bunch of kale (about 4 cups chopped kale) stems removed.
You can substitute any sturdy green like Swiss chard, or spinach ( spinach will take less time to cook)
Heat the oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and cook until the onions are translucent. Stir in garlic and cook about 1 minute, being careful not to burn it.
Then add the sausage. Crumble the sausage with a wooden spoon and cook all the way through.
Stir the tomato paste into the cooked vegeatable and sausage mixture; season with pepper.
Add broth and water to make up 2 quarts and simmer for about 15 minutes over medium-high heat, to allow the flavors to blend.
While the soup is simmering, wash the Kale and remove the tough stems. Chop the leaves up.
When the soup is ready add the chopped kale to the simmering liquid and bring it back up to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer for about 15 more minutes or until the kale is tender.
Top with fresh basil.
You may wish to add parmesan cheese as well.
Here's a picture of John and I about to have our gondola ride.
