Italian Sausage, Kale and White Bean Soup

I know it's too hot for soup in a good chunk of the US right now...but we're still seeing some chilly evenings here in Duluth.  We're also hitting super busy summer season.  Given our crazy long winters, we tend to cram a lot of action into our summer months. 

This soup requires four or five ingredients, is truly delicious and takes 20 minutes to make (maybe even less).  The recipe is as easy as it gets and it makes the exact amount I need to feed a family of four.  

I feel so buried in busy-ness these days, this level of simplicity might just become a trend on the blog for a while :)

  

You can use spicy sausage or mild, assuming your store has a choice between the two.  I use spicy, and it gives this soup a major kick!

Italian Sausage, Kale and White Bean Soup
Serves four.

One pound ground Italian sausage
One 15 ounce can of white beans (also known as Great Northern beans), drained but not rinsed
One box of chicken stock (about 4 cups)
One generous pinch of fennel seeds (optional)
One bunch of kale, spines removed and chopped to equal about 2 cups

Cook sausage in a medium hot skillet until mostly cooked all the way through.  Stir in beans, chicken stock and fennel and bring to a simmer.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  Stir in kale and simmer 5 minutes more.  Let it rest off the stove for a few minutes and serve warm.

See, I told you it was easy!!  Enjoy!

Sauerkraut Soup

I don't know why I thought this would be a St. Patricks-y recipe for you...I guess it's probably more German than anything.  But...maybe you'll have leftover sauerkraut from Reuben night that you are looking to use up?

I can pretty much promise that you have no idea how good this soup is.  The sweetness from the tomato, sour from the kraut and smoky kielbasa all go together beautifully.  The recipe is super easy.  My only complaint is that it makes a huge batch, and this soup is best eaten the same day.  It's still good left over, but isn't one of those soups to improve with age.  So you might want to cut this in half.  I'll write the recipe as is in my grandma's church cookbook, and you can do what you like with it.

Sauerkraut Soup
Serves 4 for several days.

1 pound smoked kielbasa, sliced into bite sized pieces
5 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 large onion, diced
16 ounces chicken stock
32 ounces sauerkraut, lightly rinsed and drained
6 ounces tomato paste

In a large pot, combine sausage, potatoes, onion and stock.  Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.  Add kraut and tomato paste and mix well.  Cover and simmer 30 additional minutes.  For a thinner soup, add more stock.

Yum!  I love this soup!  Elaine Pickett, who printed this recipe in the church cookbook, states "The taste of this soup surprises you."  And she's right, it does.

Enjoy!

Roasted Acorn Squash Soup with Ginger and Brown Sugar

It's chilly in Minnesota today.  Time for soup!  Mildly sweet with squash and brown sugar, mildly spicy with ginger and pepper...this soup will not disappoint on a crisp end of summer day.

Roasted Acorn Squash Soup

One medium acorn squash, cut into eighths
3 cups chicken broth, divided
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 inch cube of peeled fresh ginger, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
3 tablespoons butter, sliced
Salt and red pepper

Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a 9 by 13 oven proof pan, scatter squash, 1 cup broth, brown sugar, ginger, rosemary and butter.  Sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt and red pepper flakes and cover tightly.

Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes, always covered.  Remove from the oven and let cool overnight, or until the squash is cool enough to handle.  Carefully scoop the flesh from the rind of the squash and discard the rind.

In a food processor, puree everything from the baking pan together (including liquid), adding just enough additional chicken broth to get things moving freely in the processor.  Puree for one full minute.  You may have to do this in two batches.  Pour the puree into a medium saucepan and add more chicken broth until the soup reaches the consistency you prefer.  I don't use quite all of the broth, but you may want to.  As the soup comes to a boil over medium-high heat, add a generous pinch of salt, to taste.  Lower the heat to a simmer and simmer for five minutes.  Serve warm, garnished with a drizzle of good olive oil and fried sage.  I used blood orange olive oil that I had on hand and it was fantastic!  (Serves about 4 adults)


Fried Sage

Heat about 1/3 inch of oil in a skillet over medium high heat.  Once the oil is hot, but before the oil is so hot that is smokes, toss in a handful of whole sages leaves.  The leaves will bubble violently for a few seconds.  Once the noise subsides and most of the bubbles are gone, remove the leaves to a stack of paper towels.  Sprinkle with kosher salt and use as a garnish on anything from steak to soup to pumpkin cake.

Enjoy!

Egg Lemon Soup with Slow Cooked Vegetable Broth

Ever feel guilty over unused broccoli stems, mushy tomatoes, or butts of veggies that seem such a shame to throw out? At my house, we can't compost because unfortunately, and grossly, it has attracted (hundreds of) rats in the past. Cleverly eradicated by Steve-sometimes food photographer and exterminator-but that's another story which is totally inappropriate for a food blog.

I first heard of saving stumps and things for broth and stock from Rachel Ray - who, while maybe overexposed, is smart. So I now throw all forms of bones, butts, tips, ends and stems in a big plastic freezer bag (kept in the freezer) instead of my garbage can. When the bag is full, I cook it up into the most delicious soup base I ever had. And I do this in a crock pot overnight, which makes it really low-maintenance.

This is my golden delicious jar of goodness, made fresh last night.


Here's how easy it is, followed by my favorite veggie-broth recipe of all time:




Sometimes I collect vegetables and bones separately, sometimes I mix them. This mix is all veg.



Pictured: Aging (but not rotting) tomatoes, parsley stems, broccoli stems, zucchini ends and centers, wilting celery, and asparagus ends.

Place all items in a crock pot and cover with water.

This batch, I seasoned with a small handful of golden raisins (mine are old and grainy but will do just fine), whole peppercorns, dried garlic, one bay leaf, and a good pinch or two of salt.

Sometimes, I don't season the broth at all so I can choose my spices when making soup. Either way, a little salt and pepper is always a good thing.

Cook on your crock pot's lowest setting for 10-12 hours. I like to give mine a stir in the morning and remove it from the heat to rest for a few hours. When cool, strain through a colander, then through a coffee filter. I keep mine in jars in the fridge for now or the freezer for later - just be sure to leave some room for expansion if freezing!

If you're making a stock out of bones, follow the same recipe. The fat will rise to the top of your container and harden when chilled. You can either scoop the hardened fat right off the top, or use bits of it for body and flavor.



Now, try this soup - it's yummy!

Egg Lemon Soup

4 cups of vegetable broth (any type of broth will do)
1/2 cup white rice, uncooked
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon pepper
Fresh oregano and/or dill (optional)
Extra squeeze of lemon (also optional)

Simmer the rice and salt in the broth until the rice is tender (about 20 minutes). Remove from heat. Immediately pour beaten eggs into the broth slowly, in a spiral. The eggs will cook in about a half minute. Stir in your lemon juice. Adjust your salt and pepper. If desired, add a small amount of finely chopped fresh oregano and/or fresh dill. I always give mine an extra shot of lemon, but many people I've fed prefer it without.

This soup is really good anywhere between hot or barely warmer than room temp. Enjoy!