AN ITAL. AR AM BU LA
Confessions of a Foodie
Kale and sausage soup is a fresh break from stress-eating.
Winter is in full swing, and I still can’t get used to it getting dark so early. It’s just 6 p.m., and it’s been pitch-black outside for almost an hour. I leave the cozy warmth of my bedroom and walk out onto the balcony, the granny square blanket my mother made for me in tow. I reach the outlet between my balcony doors and my aunt’s, bend down and plug in my two poorly strung Christmas lights, promising myself that I will do better next year. Although Christmas Day has come and gone, we join with most of our neighbors in keeping our Christmas lights up through the 12 Days of Christmas, which end today (the lights will come down this weekend, extending our holiday cheer as long as possible).
The pitter-patter of too-long quarantine nails in need of a trim, striking against my bedroom’s hardwood floor, reach the tile floor of the balcony: Starbuck, my buff-colored cocker spaniel, has followed me out. I sit on the far end of the wicker settee. Not needing an invitation, she hops up and takes the space next to me, closest to the balcony’s edge. She extends her body, front paws on the flat wood railing, back paws on the settee, wiggly butt gaining momentum as she surveys the eerily lit front yard. She carefully backs down and settles onto the pillow, paws on the armrest, head on paws, gaze fixated on the neighborhood below. I pull the cover over her. She lifts her head and turns back around toward me, briefly meeting my eyes as if to say, “Thanks, Mom.”
As Starbuck keeps an eye on the neighborhood below, my mind turns to ref lect on the last year as I simultaneously ponder the immediate future. Months of uncertainty, of being cooped up in our home, of comfort eating to combat stress has left me feeling physically unenergized. So, with the new year comes a renewed commitment to eating more healthfully as often as possible.
I am not a smoothie girl, nor am I fond of meal replacement bars, always favoring real, healthy, whole foods whenever possible. My quest to eat a little healthier begins where it often does, with soup and its more hearty cousin, stew. Soup can be both healthy and comforting, bridging that gap between my stress-eating ways of 2020 and my desire to eat better in 2021. Usually packed with vegetables and proteins with little added fat, I’ve always loved soups and stews no matter what time of year, but chilly months make them especially welcomed meals. In case you find yourself on a similar food journey, and because January is officially soup month, I plan on sharing four of my favorites with you this month.
I came up with today’s recipe a few years ago during a particularly chilly January when I craved a quick, steaming bowl of soup. It was midweek after a long day and, not wanting to venture back out into the cold, I searched for possible ingredients already on hand. Scrounging around in my freezer, I found precooked Italian-style chicken sausage. I found beef broth, potatoes, onion and garlic in my pantry, and celery, a few carrots and kale in my vegetable bin.
The first night I made this soup, I had dinner in a bowl in 45 minutes, with the most time spent prepping the vegetables. I had white, red and russet potatoes on hand and chose to go with the white for this soup, though the red would have been fine here as well. Russets are too starchy and will not hold their shape well in soup; use them if you must, but better to save them for mashed or baked potatoes.
The onions, carrots and celery are all chopped similar in size, with only slightly larger potatoes. The kale is destemmed, the leaves hand-torn before submerging into a bowl of cool water, swirling vigorously, then pulling them out of the bowl and giving them a quick final rinse. I find this to be more water-wise than rinsing the leaves individually under running water.
As for salt and pepper, I didn’t add any. Using the precooked sausages and the canned stock (even the low sodium variety) added enough seasoning. If your family desires more, have them add it to their individually served bowls.
Because the veggies are all chopped roughly the same size, they take little time to cook. The precooked sausage and the rich beef stock made this 20-minute soup taste like it’s been simmering all afternoon.
This soup is one of my favorite comfort foods, but it’s also a fairly healthy one that I ate frequently while successfully reversing my Type 2 diabetes diagnosis back in 2014. I’ve made it to share with friends recovering from illness, and all of them have asked for the recipe. It’s a great starting point to customize with your family’s favorite vegetables and precooked sausages (try this with chicken apple or spinach feta sausages).
Until next week, friends, I raise this bowl to you. May 2021 bring you and yours health and vitality.