Sausage, Beans and Kale Soup

This has to be one of my absolute favorite soups. I don't know what it is about the combination of Italian sausage, chicken stock and kale. It is so amazing! I have had soup with Italian sausage. I have had soup with chicken stock. But this is the only soup I have made with kale. So maybe it is the kale that is so amazing? I swear this soup could make any day better. It definitely makes me happy. To think this soup was a totally accident. The recipe I was following in the beginning called for broccoli rabe. When I couldn't find it I substituted kale. I am so happy I did. I usually make this soup with a bunch of fresh kale, cannellini beans and only 4 cups of broth. I had to make some substitutions this time because I could not find what I needed at the store. It was just as delicious and made a lot more soup. Nothing wrong with that. You have to try this soup. You are really missing out if you don't. The kale is amazing! I think I am going to try it in the next vegetable soup I make. I have too!

Sausage, Beans and Kale Soup

Serves 8

Ingredients

2 Tbsp Olive oil

20 oz Turkey Italian sausage, casing removed

1 med. Onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 Idaho potato, chopped into small dice

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 bay leaf

1 can (15 oz) great northern beans, drained

Salt, freshly ground black pepper and red pepper flakes, to taste

16 oz frozen chopped Kale 

6 cups chicken broth

Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions

Heat a 3-1/2 quart pot over medium–high heat. Add olive oil and sausage, brown crumbling with a spatula as it cooks. Add onions, carrots, potatoes, garlic, bay leaf and beans. Season with salt and peppers. Cook to begin to soften the vegetables, 5 minutes. Add kale and chicken broth, raise heat and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook covered for 15 minutes. Remove bay leaf, check seasonings, and serve soup with grated cheese.

Linking to:
Buns In My Oven: What's Cookin Wednesday
Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
My Mixing Spoon: Random Recipe Roundup Linkie Party
Cassidy's Cooking Collection: Linky & Drinky

Pot Liquor Soup

This recipe was a first for me. I have never had Pot Liquor Soup before. I copied a Southern Living recipe years ago from a WW Message Board. I am just getting around to trying it out. I was the lucky family member who took the ham bone and leftover ham home from Easter this year. I decided to try to make Pot Liquor Soup. The original recipe used fresh collard greens and ham hocks. They boil them together several times. I took a short cut and used frozen collard greens, the leftover ham and bone. They used chicken broth, I made ham stock with the ham bone. It turned out so good. I did not know what I was missing. It reminded me of the vegetables on the plate lunches at the old Pete Harris Cafe. There was the place on the plate where the black-eye peas and greens would mix together. So good! The only thing missing from this meal was corn bread. I will definitely make corn bread next time I make this soup.

Shown in my new Fiesta Rice Bowl
in Flamingo. Thanks Sis!

Pot Liquor Soup

Adapted from: Southern Living

Make about 5 quarts; 10+ servings

Ingredients

For Ham Broth:

1 ham bone

1 medium onion, unpeeled and quartered

2 ribs of celery, cut into 2” pieces

2 carrots, unpeeled and cut into 2” pieces

1/2 tsp dried rosemary

1/2 tsp dried thyme

2 bay leaves

10 black peppercorns

Handful parsley leaves and stems

2 quarts water

For Soup:

3/4 lb. ham, diced

2 medium onions, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 Idaho potato, diced

2 Tbsp. Tabasco or hot sauce

2 lbs. frozen collard greens

1 (15.8 oz) cans field peas with snaps, rinsed and drained

1 (15.8 oz) cans black-eye peas, rinsed and drained

1/2 c. vermouth

1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1 tsp. salt, or to taste

1/4 tsp. black pepper, or to taste

Directions

Place ham bone, onion, celery, carrots, broth spices and herbs in a large Dutch oven. Add water and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer, cover and simmer for 2 hours. Remove from heat; remove ham bone and set aside to cool. Strain broth through a mesh strainer lined with cheese cloth. Return broth to pot and discard veggies. Remove any ham from the bone and shred into broth.

Add diced ham, onion, garlic and potato; bring to a boil. Stir in collards, and remaining ingredients. Bring mixture back to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer covered, stirring occasionally, 45 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adjust if necessary and serve.



Linking to:
Buns in My Oven: What's Cookin' Wednesday
Love Bakes Good Cakes: All My Bloggy Friends
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
Taste and Tell Thursdays
This Gal Cooks: Marvelous Mondays Link Party
Love Bakes Good Cakes: The Ultimate Soup Recipe List Linky

Gumbo Vert

Gumbo Vert (Verre) is the short name for this Gumbo. It should really be called "Lazy Cajun Daughter's Lowfat Gumbo Vert". Gumbo Vert is Green Gumbo in french. It has a traditional roux with lots of the trinity(celery, onion and bell pepper) then any and every dark leafy green you can think of. Our family always used turnip, collard, mustard, spinach and lettuce. If they had tops of beets or carrots then that would go in there too. My mom, and both Maw Maws; washed their greens, sliced the greens and par-boiled the greens for their Gumbo Vert. I cheat, I buy the frozen greens. Yes! That makes me the Lazy Cajun Daughter. 

In an effort to reduce the fat in the gumbo, I also use a dry fat free roux. You can buy this roux in jars at most grocery stores. It is an oven browned flour. You get that rich flavor without the fat. Now I can see you wrinkling your nose, thinking that is a lot of greens. But in this day and age when people put spinach in their fruit smoothies and eat kale as chips, in soup and salads don't you think you could give it a try. Greens are so good for you. This Gumbo Vert is savory and I think the flavors of the greens blend really well in the roux. I think I taste the spinach the most. Dad enjoys his over rice, Mom likes it as a soup, I think it is great any way you serve it.

I did buy a local andouille for this Gumbo. It came from Bergeron's. It was not the andouille I am use to from Jacob's in LaPlace, LA but it did have the same texture and great flavor. The best I have bought in Shreveport. It could have used a little less salt and more smoke. All that said, it was great in the Gumbo. I would buy it again if I didn't have Jacob's in the freezer.

Gumbo Vert (Lowfat)
Makes about 5 quarts

1 lb andouille sausage, sliced in quarters 
2 Tbsp olive oil 
2 large onions, diced 
1 green bell pepper, diced 
1 bunch celery, sliced 
1 cup dry fat free roux 
1 lb iceberg lettuce, shredded 
1 lb frozen turnip greens, semi defrosted 
1 lb frozen collard greens, semi defrosted 
1 lb frozen mustard greens, semi defrosted 
1 lb frozen spinach, semi defrosted 
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1 bunch parsley, chopped
Season to Taste* (Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and Cajun seasoning) 

Using a large pot. Cook andouille over medium heat until it starts to brown a bit. Remove from pot and set aside.

Add olive oil, pepper, celery, and onion to pot cook until veggies start to soften. Add roux and stir in well. You can add a little water if it begins to stick. Add lettuce to roux cook until it begins to wilt. Then add greens to pot one at a time stirring to combine before you add the next bag. Add green onions and parsley, stir to combine. When all greens are in the pot add water to cover. Season to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer at least one hour. Puree with a stick blender or in batches in a blender. Add the andouille back to the pot. Simmer until the andouille is warm and flavors combine. Check once more for seasoning.

Serve over rice or as a puréed soup.

Makes about 20 - 1 cup servings 

* Season to your taste, the Greens will take a lot of seasoning I would say it depends on the andouille: I used about 2-1/4 tsp Salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, and 1 tsp Cajun seasoning. Add seasoning a little at a time. Taste after adding andouille and simmering a few minutes.

Roux with the first addition of greens

After adding water

Seasoning the Gumbo

Gumbo pureed adding the Andouille

Linking to:
Memories by the Mile: Tuesday Trivia - LOUISIANA and Link Party
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo