Kale and Vegetable Soup

I don’t know if it is because I am from New Bedford, MA and Portuguese kale soup is part of my childhood or just because it is such a darn good vegetable, but I am totally smitten with kale. I just made this soup on the weekend when we got the first frost of autumn, and it couldn’t have been a better choice. In this aromatic soup base the kale becomes exceptionally tender while at the same time giving the soup wonderful body. Just for fun I added a half-teaspoon of smoked paprika and it gave it the meaty flavor that Portuguese linguica gives traditional kale soup. Fabulous! Hey, just because I am a vegetarian doesn’t mean that I don’t know how good meat can taste.

As a gardener it is easy to appreciate how much fun it is to grow this great leafy green vegetable. It actually improves when you wait until after the first frost to pick it. To freeze kale all you have to do it rip it off its stem and chop it into small pieces,then stuff the leaves in a ziplock freezer bag. No blanching or precooking needed.

I have two new kale preparations that I now enjoy: kale shakes and kale chips.  To make a kale shake I follow my son’s recipe.  Throw a few handfuls of kale and spinach in a blender along with some blueberries and a peach, pear, or banana.  Add some ice cubes and a little water and puree it all.  Pour it into a tall glass and enjoy.  It’s hard to get a more nutritious cleansing shake.

For kale chips wash and spin dry a bunch of kale that has been removed from its stems.  Tear it into 2-inch pieces and pat very dry with paper towel. Lay it on a baking sheet and drizzle on 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and toss it with your fingers until each leaf is coated.  Sprinkle on a little salt – not much. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Bake about 20 minutes, turning over the leaves halfway through cooking.  The “chips” are done when they are crisp and golden on the edges.  Let cool and enjoy.

Hello everyone.  Welcome to my new blog.  I’m so excited to have the chance to share my love of food with you.  My sixth book, Simply Satisfying, will be available at bookstores and online at the beginning of November.  Since my first book, Vegetarian Pleasures, went out of print 10 years ago, I have gotten many letters from fans looking for a copy to give to a best friend or fellow food lover.  Having this opportunity to bring it back to life with new recipes, a new format, photos, and updated text is a dream come true.  So many of these recipes are still among my all-time favorites. Fragrant Vegetable Stew with Corn Dumplings is about as good as a soup can get.  Pillowy corn dumplings  nestled in a beautifully- colored vegetable soup of corn, tomatoes, zucchini, and beans that has a hint of clove in its broth is a feast for all the senses, and you’ll want to prepare it again and again.  Pair that with Hot Fudge Pudding Cake and you’ll have an informal meal that will rank at the top of your list.  These are  a few of my favorite things…  I feel like I am about to burst into song.   More to come.