It’s the beginning of November and the garden is still providing inspiration and produce for our menus. The spinach and chard have been harvested but the kale is now at it’s peak. The first kiss of frost sweetens the taste of this vitamin and mineral rich member of the cabbage family. We are currently growing two varieties in the garden. Lacinato kale, which also goes under the names of dinosaur kale, Tuscan kale, black kale or Cavolo Nero and the very distinctive Red Russian. Lacinato, the current “rock star” of the vegetable world has deep green oblong leaves with a pebbly texture. The Red Russian variety has sage green leaves with reddish purple veins. Red Russian has flat fringed leaves that resemble oversized oak leaves.
This soup is very loosely based on the national soup of Portugal, caldo verde which translates “green soup”. In it’s simplest form caldo verde is broth or water, onion, thin strips of kale or collard greens and potatoes for thickening. Since this was considered peasant food, small slices of linguica, a Portuguese pork sausage would be added before serving. This soup takes on many variations for us. The base this time was homemade chicken stock but we have made it with a combination of low sodium chicken broth and bottled clam juice. How much kale is up to you, about eight cups of shredded leaves is a good starting point. The leaves need to be separated from the hard kale stems and then cut into thin strips. This will allow the kale to cook quicker. I added littleneck clams and mussels adding another depth of flavor. I wanted a lighter soup this time, so I did not add the traditional potatoes. Chopped tomatoes or cannelini beans would also be flavorful additions to this soup. Sausage like linguica or chorizo would bring another layer of flavor, my sausage was from our local pork producer, Purely Farms. I chose their very delicious cervallata which features broccoli rabe, aged provolone, fennel and freshly ground black pepper along with the Purely Pork sausage. Joe added a few hot peppers, remove them after cooking or they will permeate the dish.
Is this a soup or a stew? Definitions of both terms abound, I turned to The Food Lovers Companion written by Sharon Tyler Herbst as my final authority. Ms Herbst defines a soup as any combination of vegetables, meat or fish cooked in a liquid. Soup can be thick or thin, smooth or chunky, cold or hot. A stew is a dish of meat, vegetables and a thick broth resulting from the combination of the stewing liquid and the natural juices of the food being stewed. She also states that the food in a stew is cooked slowly for a long period of time. So a kale, shellfish and sausage soup it is.
Kale, Shellfish and Sausage Soup Serves 4-6 Ingredients
- 1T olive oil
- 1 lb. linguica, chorizo, or other spicy sausage, split along the length and sliced 1/2-inch thick
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 c (about 1 lb.) kale, preferably Tuscan, stems removed and chopped into thin ribbons
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 small hot pepper (optional)
- 2 dozen littleneck clams
- 2 dozen mussels
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions
- Set a dutch oven or large soup pot over medium-high heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the sausage and sauté until the sausage is golden brown on all sides. Remove the sausage and drain on a paper towel.
- Reduce heat to medium and add the onion. Sauté until the onion is translucent then add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the chicken broth, pepper if using and the kale to the pot. Stir to coat everything with chicken broth and then cover the pot with a lid. Stir the kale every three minutes until it is barely tender.
- Add the clams and mussels to the pot. Add the sausage and cook until the mussels and clams have opened and the kale is tender. Taste for seasonings and salt.
- Serve this soup in individual bowls with a crusty slice of bread to sop up the broth at the bottom of the bowl.
