from Food to Live By
Serves 6 to 8
¼ cup olive oil
1 large yellow onion, cut into ½ inch dice (about 1 cup)
1 medium carrot, cut into ½ inch dice (about ½ cup)
4 cloves garlic, minced
About 8 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
2 cups diced waxy potatoes, such as yukon gold or german butterball, cut into ½ inch dice
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence or dried thyme
1 bunch kale
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, with their juice
1 can (about 14 oz) white beans, such as cannellini, drained
½ pound smoked pork sausage, such as chorizo or kielbasa (optional), cut into ¼-inch slices
Coarse (kosher) salt and freshly ground back pepper to taste
Heat olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook until the vegetables soften, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Add the stock, potatoes, and herbes de Provence to the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and let simmer gently until the potatoes are partially cooked, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, rinse the kale and remove and discard the stems. Cut the kale leaves crosswise into 1-inch wide ribbons. Add the kale, tomatoes, beans and sausage, if using, to the soup and cook until the potatoes and kale are tender, 5 to 10 minutes.
If the soup is too thick, thin it with more stock or some water. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste and serve hot. Leftover soup can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 5 days.