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

Tuscan Ribollita

This recipe for Tuscan Ribollita is as authentic as they come. While traveling around the world, my brother's girlfriend, Reva, spent some time in Italy. While in Tuscany, she learned quite a few recipes, one of them being this recipe for Tuscan Ribollita. There are quite a few variations on this hearty soup but the main ingredients always include leftover bread, cannellini beans, and inexpensive vegetables. 

Ingredients:

2 carrots

1 small onion

2 garlic cloves

olive oil to taste

1 bunch of kale, shredded

7 cups vegetable broth

3 (15.5 oz) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper 

In a food processor, pulse carrots, onions, garlic, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a small to medium dice. In a large stock pot, heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Sauté vegetables in oil for about 5 minutes. Next stir in the shredded kale to the stock pot and cook for about 10 minutes. In Italy, they use cavolo nero kale or also known as black leaf kale. If you can find it, use it. If not, your traditional grocery store kale will work just as well.   

Once your kale has cooked for about 10 minutes, or looks like the picture above, stir in 2 cups of vegetable broth. Bring the soup to a simmer and simmer for about 5 minutes. While simmering, put 1 & 1/2 cans of the cannellini beans into a food processor with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Puree the beans and olive oil until smooth. Stir the pureed beans into the soup.

Add the remainder of the broth, whole beans, and seasonings into the soup. Simmer for approximately 30 minutes. Just before serving, tear bread into bite sized pieces and let soften in soup. Drizzle with olive oil and enjoy. 

'Till next time,

Caroline 

Hamburger Soup

This hamburger soup is quickly becoming one of my favorites. It is hearty, filling, and has a great flavor! Don't be thrown off by the name though. This hamburger soup contains no mustard, ketchup, or any other bizarre combination of condiments. 

Ingredients:

(serves 4-6)

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 cup diced onion

3/4 cup diced carrots 

3/4 cup diced red bell pepper

4 - 5 cloves of garlic, minced

1 cup sliced okra

4 cups chicken broth

1 (15oz) can diced tomatoes

2 bay leaves

2 Tablespoons worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. fresh cracked pepper

Optional: 1 cup chopped cabbage, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, and/or 3/4 cup green beans.

The best way to begin this recipe is to get all the prep work out of the way. Believe me this will make it smooth sailing when you start cooking. Dice your onion, carrots, red bell pepper, and garlic. Heat a large stock pot over medium heat. Combine diced vegetables, ground beef, garlic powder, paprika, salt, pepper, oregano, and worcestershire sauce in the stock pot. 

Cook the beef until it is browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. 

Once the meat is browned and the vegetables are sautéed, about 5 - 7 minutes, add the rest of the ingredients to the stock pot (2 bay leaves, chicken broth, 15 oz can of tomatoes, and 1 cup sliced okra).

Stir ingredients in stock pot together and bring to a simmer. Turn heat down to low, cover with lid, and simmer soup for 1 to 2 hours (stirring occasionally). Once soup has cooked down is combined, remove pot from heat and serve. Enjoy!

'Till next time,

Caroline

Tortellini Soup

Being sick is quite possibly the worst feeling. Your whole body aches, you go from freezing to burning up in less than a second, and food just doesn't sound appetizing at all. My go to soup of choice when I am sick is this Tortellini Soup. Is is so quick and simple to make, it's easy on the stomach, and is just downright delicious.

Ingredients: 
2 (32 oz) cartons of chicken broth
1 cup water
2-3 large handfuls of chopped fresh spinach
3-4 Tablespoons of garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 (19 oz) package of cheese tortellini
salt and pepper to taste

*optional ingredients: shredded rotisserie chicken, dried oregano, and/or green onions.

Warning: this may be the easiest soup you will ever make!

In a large stock pot, combine chicken broth, water, garlic powder, and basil and bring to a boil. Once boiling add in your cheese tortellini and cook it according to the package. I use either fresh or frozen tortellini. Once the tortellini is al dente, remove from the heat and stir in the fresh spinach. I love spinach so I usually add a little extra. Season the broth with salt, pepper, and extra garlic powder to taste.

Enjoy!!

'Till next time,
Caroline