Kale Soup (Recipe)

Ingredients

3 slices bacon, cut up

4 large onions, sliced (6 cups)

6 cups water

8 cups washed, trimmed and cut up kale (approximately 8 ounces)

8 ounces linguisa sausage or kielbasa, thinly sliced

4 cups finely chopped potatoes (1 1/2 pounds)

1 15 1/2-ounce can kidney beans

1 teaspoon vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Dash of bottled hot pepper sauce

Steps

1. In a Dutch oven, cook the bacon and onions until the onions are tender.  Add the water, kale and sausage or kielbasa.  Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce heat.  Gently boil, covered, for 15 minutes.

2. Add the potatoes and undrained kidney beans.  Bring to a boil. Cover and boil gently for 15 minutes more.

3. Stir in the vinegar, salt, pepper and hot pepper sauce.  Cover and simmer the soup for 30 minutes.

Tips:

Kale is most abundant in grocery stores during the winter.  Look for small bunches with no yellow or limp leaves.  Wash the leaves in cold water, pat dry, remove the stems and trim bruised leaves.  Store kale in a paper towel-lined plastic bag in the refrigerator up to 3 days.  Longer storage may cause the leaves to take on a bitter taste.

Linguisa is an uncooked, smoked sausage of Portuguese origin.  It is made by coarsely grinding pork with garlic, cumin seed and cinnamon.  The mixture is cured in brine before stuffing.  Kielbasa is a cooked, smoked sausage also known as a Polish sausage.  It is usually made from a combination of pork and beef, seasoned with coriander, garlic, marjoram, salt, pepper and sugar.

For easier preparation, use a food processor to slice the onions.  Cut large onions in a half vertically to fit them into a feed tube.

Leftover soup can be frozen in 2-cup containers.  To reheat, transfer the frozen soup to a microwave-safe bowl and micro-cook on 70% power (medium-high) for 10 to 11 minutes, stirring occasionally.

From : America's Best-Loved Community Recipes