Healthy Kale and Sausage Soup (Caldo Verde revised)

A friend asked me a few days ago for one of my soup recipes that I knew I had blogged. But when I looked it over before sending her the link, I realized that how I cook this soup has changed a bit in the last few years. So since I had to rewrite the recipe for her, I decided now is a good time to repost it here.

This recipe is inspired by Caldo Verde, a traditional Portuguese soup made with very thinly shredded kale and european style smoked chorizo. My version is heavily Americanized  to the point that I'm sure someone's little old Portuguese grandma is going to slap me some day. No matter. My version uses easy to find ingredients, such as the mountains of kale we get in our CSA box this time of year, and spicy italian sausage. Unlike some other americanized versions, my soup doesn't add heavy cream or butter. 

It's a nice, light vegetable soup, perfect for cold weather.  You don't even have to use the super trendy kale. The version in the picture actually used collard greens and turnip greens. Feel free to use whatever combo of greens you have on hand. We lighten it up even more by using turkey sausage instead of pork, but that's not necessary. It's great for dinner, but is even better for leftovers at lunch the next day. 

Kale and Sausage Soup

1 bunch kale (or collard greens), chopped 
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound spicy italian link sausage (we like turkey, but whatever you like)
2 cups sliced potatoes
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth

Brown sausage in soup pot. Remove. Add a tablespoon of oil, if necessary. Brown potatoes, onions and garlic. Add chopped kale, cover with broth and simmer until vegetables are tender. Chop reserved sausage into bite sized pieces and add back to pot. Serve with crusty bread. 

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