Kale With Roasted Sausage and Sweet Potato Soup

Most of June has been rainy here, and now with a Nor’easter stuck off the coast for days, making the most of  in-season vegetables turns thoughts to warming soups.  Without a lot of time on my hands I thought of  one of my go-to recipes to get through the pesky weather pattern plaguing us, and it did the trick!  This vibrantly colored rustic style soup was a favorite in my restaurant, the recipe cheerfully developed with the help of my kitchen staff,  who were always eager to sample and offer suggestions. It’s very quick and easy to make, with lots of roasted goodness and a tremendous use for one of my favorite vegetables and one of the world’s super foods – fresh kale.

I found this beautiful nutrient dense early summer kale at this week’s Newburyport Farmers Market , and two cups of it were dedicated to making this delicious meal-in-a-bowl.

Ingredients for Kale with Roasted Sausage and Sweet Potato Soup recipe: (serves four)

• 6 cups chicken stock
• 3 large hot Italian sausage links
• 2 cups fresh kale, trimmed and chopped
• 2 cups stewed tomatoes, fire-roasted if available
• 2 cups cooked cannellini (white) beans, drained
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 large clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Toss the cubes of sweet potato with the olive oil and add to a non-stick baking pan with the three sausage links. I had 5 links, so I cooked them all and saved two for sausage/onion/pepper subs the next day. Roast the sweet potatoes and sausages in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, shaking occasionally. Do not pierce the sausages!  As they cook they will release some of their fat, which is nice to coat the sweet potato cubes in while they are roasting.

As these are cooking, trim the kale by pulling the greens away from the center ribs. Wash and chop into bite sized pieces. Chop the stewed tomatoes into bite sized pieces. I did it the messy way…..

Bring the chicken stock to a simmer with the diced onion, garlic and bay leaf .

With a mortar and pestle, smash the fennel seeds so they are broken up a bit and begin to release their oils.

Add to the simmering stock, along with a few grinds of black pepper.

When the sausage is nicely browned and the sweet potato cubes are tender, cut the sausage into bite-sized pieces and add to the soup along with the kale, potatoes, white beans and tomatoes.

 Simmer for 10 minutes, salt and pepper to taste and it’s done – enjoy!

Freshly grated or shaved parmesan is a wonderful garnish for the soup (or is it a stew?) and some nice crusty bread rounds everything out.