Soup is my favorite answer to many a leftover question. Looking in the fridge and pantry, I found about half a bunch of kale left from another dish that had about two good days left before it would be destined for the compost bin.
Thinking about variations on French potage and the Portuguese "caldo verde" I set to work.
All good soups start with that flavor triumvirate: onion, carrot, and celery. I sauteed these, along with that Italian sausage, removed from casing and crumbled, until the vegetables were soft and the meat was no longer pink. To this I added about 5 cups of chicken broth and three potatoes, cut into fairly large dice. I let this all simmer for about 30 minutes, until the potatoes were tender. I then added the kale, which I had finely shredded and let it cook for 10 minutes or so. Lastly, I added the smoked sausage (already fully cooked), which I had diced roughly.
At this point, my soup was ready to eat and at its loveliest--the kale still a beautiful, vibrant green. But continued gentle simmering ended with a soup that while not as lovely, was certainly delicious. A little heavy cream added at the end elevated this soup into something really special.
Having now lunched on the leftovers of this soup for two days, I have just enough for something else: With roughly two cups of soup left, I've pureed it in the blender and thinned it with a bit of milk. It will be our first course tonight for dinner. (Second course currently unknown!) I will heat it, but it could easily be served cold, as it is reminiscent of Vichyssoise. (Note on adding milk to soups: heat them just until hot enough to serve--don't boil or it could separate.)
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