Portuguese Kale Soup

We planted kale this year and I am amazed at how well it has coped with the heat and humidity we've had throughout the summer. It truly is a hearty crop that will feed you for a good portion of the year. But what to do with all that kale? While it can be versatile as a side dish, in salads or in soups, it has a distinctive flavor that some find too strong. Kale has awesome nutritional value so it's worth finding a way to prepare it that you enjoy.
Here's our favorite kale recipe, given to me by my mother in law. We had a little break the past few days from the heat, so I decided to prepare a big pot of soup and pretend the fall was here! My husband is from Somerset, Massachusetts, a small town with a large Portuguese population, where this soup is a staple in households. Using  an authentic Portuguese sausage, or chourico, makes all the difference in the flavor. We use Gaspar's chourico from North Dartmouth - thanks to my mother and father in law for sending us 16lbs on ice out here to Nebraska!

Thawing out the chorico

Gaspar's chourico has big chunks of fat in it, but it has great flavor and is not very greasy

If you have a large kale crop consider freezing some to use this fall and winter in this soup. The spicy sausage makes it a great meal to eat any time of year and my husband even likes to eat it cold the next day.

Portuguese Kale Soup

Chicken broth - about a third of the pot, or just enough to cover the ingredients
1.5 long pieces Portuguese sausage, sliced
2 cans red kidney beans, do not drain
Bundle of fresh kale or 1 package frozen kale
2 small onions
4 small to medium potatoes peeled cut into bite sized pieces
1 small head cabbage or lettuce
Salt and pepper to taste

Cabbage stays crisp in the soup for a little crunch

Chop kale and remove thick stems. Prepare and chop potatoes, onions and cabbage into small chunks. Slice chourizo into bite sized pieces. Combine all ingredients into pot, cover with stock and bring to a boil. Turn down and simmer until the potatoes are ready (about 25 minutes).

Leftovers will freeze well, but we usually don't have any!