PORTUGUESE STYLE POTATO AND KALE SOUP
This is a quintessential winter soup, starring kale, a hardy leafy winter vegetable. Trader Joe's doesn't carry kale, but how about using spinach instead. Wona thinks this soup would also be good using a blend of collard greens. But if you can get fresh kale, try it while you can - it's packed with nutrition and antioxidants.
Wona decided to put a Latin spin onto this recipe by making it similar to Caldo Verde, a popular Portuguese soup. By cooking the kale (or spinach) for just a few minutes, the leaves retain their vibrant green color. She loves how the specks of blended greens make almost a pesto-like base for the soup, with larger chunks of kale and potato lending a satisfying heartiness. Sausage or chorizo chunks can be added for an extra punch of flavor and protein. You may have misconception that kale is bitter, but in fact it has an earthy, almost sweet flavor.
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed, or 2 cubes frozen Crushed Garlic
- 6 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1 lb potatoes, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 large bunch kale, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Smoked sausage or chorizo, cooked and chopped (optional)
- Heat olive oil in a soup pot. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1-2 minutes longer.
- Add broth and potatoes. Bring mixture to boil, then cover, lower to simmer, and cook for 10 minutes until potatoes are almost tender.
- Increase heat and add kale. Cook for 3 minutes until leaves turn bright green. Do not overcook.
- Blend half of the soup using an immersion blender or regular blender. Combine soup and check for seasonings, adding salt and pepper to taste. Top with sausage if desired.
About Wona Miniati:
WONA MINIATI received degrees in electrical engineering and computer science from MIT and an MBA from Stanford. Born in Korea and raised in Venezuela, Miniati was exposed to international cuisines from a young age. Following her mother in the kitchen as the apprentice ¯sous-chef was her favorite pastime as a child. As an adult, it dawned on her that preparing delicious; gourmet food did not have to mean spending all day in the kitchen. Miniati lives in San Francisco with her husband and two kids. Gunn and Miniati grew up in homes where cooking was all-important and meals were always shared at an inviting family table. They met while in college at MIT and became fast friends. During their years in Boston, their exposure to food continued to grow, whether it was the spicy Dun Dun noodles at the local hole-in-the-wall Central Square Chinese restaurant or the amazing paella and sangria in Harvard Square. Through necessity, as their lives became more hectic juggling kids and full-time jobs, they discovered ways to become fast and efficient cooks. Rather than resort to fast-food or frozen dinners, they found that by using prepped ingredients at Trader Joe's, it suddenly became completely doable to eat homemade meals every day and throw dinner parties without breaking a sweat. Time and time again, as they shopped the aisles at Trader Joe's, they overheard people saying, ¯What do you do with quinoa? How do you use tapenade? What goes well with ricotta-stuffed chicken? Before they knew it, they had written a cookbook.
Website: http://www.cookingwithtraderjoes.com
