Rustic Vegan Potato Sausage Kale Soup
By: Organikook
Published: Thursday, March 11, 2010 - 10:19am

Ingredients




5 mediums baking potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-inch cubes
2 mediums onions, peeled and diced
5 stalks of celery heart ribs, diced (or 3 large stalks, diced)
3 cloves of garlic, minced or crushed
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
3 cubes vegetarian chicken bouillon
6 cups filtered water
1 small bunch of kale, rinsed, stems removed and chopped
1 package Light Life Italian Sausage, ¼-inch slice on an angle
extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon white wine or sherry vinegar
1 1/2 cups plain unsweetened soymilk
2 teaspoons (heaping) all purpose organic flour
1/4 cup Tofutti non-hydrogenated sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1 In a stockpot (preferably cast iron to increase the iron content) over medium heat, saute the onions and celery until softened and translucent. Add the garlic, and saute for 2 more minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the potatoes, thyme, bay leaf, bouillon & water, bring to a boil. Turn down to low and simmer until potatoes are fork tender. 2 Meanwhile,heat a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add a little olive oil (a couple of quick swirls around the pan will do), and saute the kale until it is tender and no longer bright green. Add in the vinegar and stir well. Remove the kale and place in a bowl. Reheat the pan over medium high heat, swirl some more olive oil, add in the sausage. Let the sausage brown a bit, then add 2 T. of water, cover and heat for 5 mins. Do not overcook. Remove from heat, let cool, and dice. Place in a serving dish. 3 Add the flour and soymilk into a jar large enough to hold the mixture. Cover, and shake until all the lumps are gone. Add this into the soup once the potatoes are tender. Let the soup thicken. At this stage, you may puree a bit of the soup with a stick blender to thicken it further if you like. but you still want lots of potato chunks! Next, you will add in the kale and heat thoroughly. Add the sour cream and stir until it is incorporated into the mixture. If you think it is getting too thick, add more soymilk or water until you achieve the desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste. 4 Ladle into a bowl, sprinkle a spoonful or two of the diced sausage and enjoy.

About


This goes great with a rustic bread for dipping!! Serve with a side salad to complete the meal. (Don't forget to add those crushed red pepper flakes if you like things hot & spicy!)
Back in the days when I would have limited amounts of meat, I would have this soup at Olive Garden, because it was spicy (and I love hot and spicy foods) and it had potatoes, which I love as well. This soup is rustic, yet creamy and very hearty. I keep it mild for my family, but you can add your heat according to your taste with crushed red pepper flakes.

Comments:
Helen Pitlick

YUM! I don't know what it is about Italian sausage and kale, but they just go so well together. I've been throwing vegan Italian sausage into sauteed kale, but I think I'm going to give your soup a try next time.