Kale and Kielbasa Soup

The broth and flavor of this soup never gets old. It is great leftover and perfect for any cold night. It is quick and easy to make with only a few ingredients to purchase (which is always a plus in my book). The base of this soup is similar to the Tuscan Ribollita soup that I made earlier. 


Servings: 8-10 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes 
Cook Time: 50 minutes


Ingredients:
1 lb. kielbasa sausage
2 large carrots
2 yellow onions (or 1 large yellow onion)
4 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
5 cups chopped kale
1 bay leaf
2 (14 oz) cans cannellini beans
7 cups chicken broth
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper


Chop 2 whole carrots into small pieces and set aside. 

Chop 1 large or 2 small yellow onions and set aside.

Mince 4 cloves of garlic and set aside. 

Slice kielbasa into 1/4 inch rounds.

In a large stock pot over medium high heat, cook kielbasa slices until slightly brown, about 5 minutes.

Remove kielbasa and set aside.

Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil into the stock pot with the kielbasa drippings over medium heat. Stir in onions and carrots and cook until tender for about 5-8 minutes. 

Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute. 

Remove stems of kale and chop into thin strips.

Stir the kale into the stock pot and cover with a lid and steam the kale for 4 minutes.

Season sautéed vegetables with salt and pepper.

Drain cannellini beans in a colander over the sink.

Stir in cannellini beans, bay leaf, and kielbasa. 

Stir in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. 

Serve with some crusty bread and enjoy!

'Til next time,

Caroline

Homemade Chicken Broth

Photo Credit: A Food Centric Life

This statement may come as a surprise to some of you but I have had a series of failures when it comes to making chicken broth. My first attempt was downright awful. The broth tasted like dirty water and had me skeptical that I would ever find a recipe that met my standards. I stumbled upon this recipe from the blog A Food Centric Life. If anyone was going to prove my negative experiences with homemade chicken broth wrong it was going to be this recipe. So I loaded up on the ingredients and got to work and it quickly proved to exceed my expectations. The broth was delicious, full of flavor, and easy to make even considering the long cooking time that it calls for.   
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Servings: 10 cups of chicken broth

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken (~4 lbs.)
3 large celery ribs, roughly chopped
2 - 3 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 dried bay leaf
1 handful of parsley leaves and stems
1/2 tsp. whole black peppercorns
2-3 fresh thyme sprigs
4 quarts of water

Rinse and pat the whole chicken dry. With a sharp knife, remove the leg and thigh pieces and cut them in half. Next cut off the wings. Cut through the center breast bone of the chicken. You should have two halves of the body now. Cut the breasts free and cut them in half. Cut the remaining part of the body in half. You will want to remove as much skin as possible after you have cut apart the chicken. 

Add the chicken into a large stock pot and fill with 8 to 10 quarts of water. Bring the chicken and water to a simmer. Impurities and grey foam will begin to rise to the surface at this stage of the cooking process. Do not be alarmed, this is what is supposed to happen. Skim the foam and impurities off the surface and discard it until it is gone or almost gone. 

Once the impurities and foam have been removed, add the vegetables, herbs, and whole peppercorns to the stock pot. Keep the pot at a low simmer and simmer for 6-8 hours. Add hot water to the pot if the water level gets low.

Strain the vegetables, meat, and bones through a fine wire colander. Strain the broth into a large stainless bowl that is floating in ice water. I filled up my sink with ice water and rested the bowl in the ice water. Stir the broth to help speed up the cooling process. 

The broth will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days or can be frozen for up to 3 months.

I hope that this broth exceeds your expectations like it did mine!
'Till next time,
Caroline