Portuguese Kale Soup

This tasty soup is a great way to step into fall… a bit of summer and fall all in one. Enjoy with a juicy glass of Boudreaux Cellars cab (treat yo self), some fresh wild leavened bread from the new bread baker in town, Rising Grain Project and you have yourself local food at its best!

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

• 1/2 cup diced onions

• 1 cup diced peppers (sweet and/or hot depending on your preference)

• 1/2 cup diced carrots

• 1 bunch kale, stemmed and roughly chopped

• 6 ounces chopped chourico (spicy Portuguese sausage), or chorizo

• 3 bay leaves

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

• 6 cups beef stock

• 1 cup kidney beans

• 1 cup diced tomatoes

• 2 cups diced potatoes

In a large stock pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onions, peppers and carrots and cook for 5 minutes. Add the kale, chourico, bay leaves, and thyme and mix well. Add the beef stock, beans and tomatoes. Bring the soup to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring salted water to a boil and add the diced potatoes. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes and add them to the soup. Remove the bay leaves and serve hot.