{Handmade) Sausage, Kale & Orecchiette Soup

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~SAUSAGE, KALE & ORECCHIETTE SOUP~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This soup is delicious on a chilly day or if you have had a really long day and just want to curl up on the couch with a big, warm bowl of nourishing soup! Or for breakfast....but I'm probably the only one who eats soup for breakfast. Unless they are sick.

Yield: 

3-4 main servings


Materials:

1 tbs. olive oil
2 links Hot Italian sausage
pinch Red Chili Flakes
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small onion, chopped 
1 large bunch curly kale, roughly chopped
1 qt. chicken stock
salt & pepper

0.5 c. reserved pasta cooking water
0.5 lb Oricchettie, cooked to al dente & drained


Procedure:

Remove sausage from casings and brown in olive oil over medium heat until cooked through. Crumble into desired size chunks, remove from oil, and set aside.

Add chopped onion to oil/sausage drippings and cook until translucent. Add kale and toss to coat with oil. Cook 2 mins. Add garlic and a pinch Red Chili Flake. Season with S & P. Cook for another minute or two. Add reserved pasta cooking water and chicken stock and throw sausage back in. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Bring up to a boil, then reduce and simmer 10 mins. Eat right away or store noodles and soup separately in the fridge and reheat as needed. 

To serve, scoop a big scoop of pasta into the bottom of a bowl and top with a few ladles of soup, a drizzle of olive oil & a dusting of Parmesan cheese.  Delicious with some buttered baguette or crusty bread alongside.


Results: 

Deliziosa!  I ate for breakfast & lunch a couple days in a row!


Discussion:

Kale, especially curly, is great in soup because it holds its texture and doesn't get mushy. The soup is yummy on the first night, but is even better the next day. Sorry for the white highlighting...I can't get it to go away, but I think it is kinda fun.

{Handmade} LACINATO KALE SALAD

The kale party continues! This salad is great room temp or chilled, but can also be sauteed as a warm salad. Lacinato kale is a great kale to start with if you aren't a huge kale fan because it's not as tough & curly. It's almost like a kale / Romain lettuce hybrid. It looks like this if you are not familiar:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~LACINATO KALE SALAD~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yield: 

1 main portion or 2 sides


Materials:

1 small bunch or 0.5 large bunch Lacinato Kale (I used 10 leaves)
0.5 cup size chunk purple red cabbage (omit for sautee)
0.5 cup raw or roasted walnuts
scant 0.5 cup dried cherries or cranberries

For Dressing:

1 tbs. olive oil
1 small garlic clove, pasted
pinch Red Chili Flakes
0.5 tsp. whole grain mustard
0.4 tsp. maple syrup
salt & pepper to taste
0.25 lemon or orange, juiced
0.4 tsp. dried tarragon

Procedure - for COLD SALAD:

Use a small Mason Jar and shake together, or whisk together dressing ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Rough chop kale and add to bowl/tupperware with lid.  Top with cabbage, walnuts, & cherries. Add dressing, lid and shake to distribute dressing all over kale. Eat right away, or let sit 1-2 hours before eating to soften kale. 

Procedure - for SAUTEED / WARM:

Rough chop kale & set aside. 

Heat olive oil up in pan over low, add garlic & chili flake. Once garlic is softened slightly, stir in mustard and maple syrup. 

Turn pan up to med-high and add kale, salt & pepper. Cook kale a few minutes until wilted slightly and crispy on the edges, tossing so that the garlic doesn't burn. 

Pull of heat, add lemon juice & tarragon. Toss.

Serve / eat immediately.

Results:

I loved this salad more than the Red Kale Salad & thought it was even better sauteed.  We had alongside breaded pork chops for dinner...delish!