Best Portuguese Kale Soup
Cooking Chat’s Best Portuguese Kale Soup is a delicious way to enjoy healthy kale! Sausage, beans and potatoes simmer along with the kale and plenty of garlic for a hearty, full-flavored soup.
- Author: Cooking Chat
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: Portuguese
- 9 ozs andouille sausages (I often like to use turkey sausage for a healthier dish)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 medium potatoes, chopped
- 2 cups butternut squash, peeled and chopped
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 1/2 cups of water
- 1 bunch of kale (at least 4 cups) stems removed & coarsely chopped
- 1 14.5 oz can red kidney beans
- pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- salt to taste
- Brown the sausages: Heat a large soup pan with oil spray. Add the sausages and cook for 5 minutes or so to brown, stirring occasionally. Remove the sausages and set aside to cool. When they have cooled, slice the sausage in half lengthwise, then cut into semi-circles 1/2 inch thick. Set aside.
- Sauté onions & carrots: Heat the olive oil on medium in the soup pan, then add the onions. Sauté for 5 minutes, then add carrots and sauté a few more minutes.
- Stir in potatoes, then the butternut squash and garlic. Cook for a minute or two.
- Add liquid after the potatoes have been cooking for a couple of minutes, add the chicken stock and water. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce to simmer on medium for 15 minutes.
- Stir in kale: After 15 minutes the veggies should be starting to get soft. Use a sturdy spoon to smash some of the potato and butternut against the side of the pot, to thicken the soup. Stir in the kale in a few batches, to allow some to cook down a bit to create more room. Add salt to taste and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
- Add sausage and beans: Stir in the sausage and the kidney beans. Cook for another 5 to 10 minutes to let all the flavors meld. More cooking time is great, too, if you’ve got the time! When it’s cooked to your liking, serve with a crusty bread and glass of Portuguese wine to round things out.
Notes
- 9 ounces sausage is based on 3 smaller sausages, which is the size the chicken and turkey sausages I use tend to use. 2 larger sausages would be comparable.
- You want a minimum of 4 cups of kale. That might be a good amount if your family hasn’t warmed up to kale yet, but I typically use closer to 6 cups.
- You can use one sweet potato instead of the butternut squash. Or you can choose to skip the squash entirely; the soup will still be tasty, but just missing that sweet offset to the spices in the dish.
- Turkey or chicken sausage can be used in place of the traditional pork.
- This kale soup is great the 2nd day! Store covered in the refrigerator and gradually reheat on the stove top when you are ready to eat it again.
Keywords: soup, kale soup, Portuguese soup, Portuguese kale soup