Potato Kale Cottage Soup
15 comments »
Just flew in from the weekend, and am checking to make sure my hair is still attached to my head.
It was a doozie. In every way. The good ways and the insane ways. How was yours?
The Good:
- Hubby in Cali for an uber-cool part-time job. He’s all cute and excited and it’s good to see him getting his vibe on after months without a job.
- Hilarious new friends via Facebook that were instant Favorite People. You know how hard it is to become an instant Favorite person?
- Online Rental Hunting in two mysterious cities. Stay tuned!
- The teenager of our house LOVED the Unitarian church services we attended this weekend. That, followed by a splendidly slow meal with my four perfectly divine children followed by Golden Globe watching at a radical pals house and there you’ve got a great day.
- Every time the kids remembered Monday is a no-school day, you’d think it was their birthday. The realization just kept re-surprising them the whole day long.
- Acapella sing off with the kids in the car. Take that, Von Trapps. Take that.
The Bad:
- 92,000 showings this week. Which meant I had to obscene clean my home 91,999 times. I gave up on the last one. Wet towels in the bathroom and dishes in the sink. Hey! You buy the house and try to keep that from happening.
- Sleepovers. Why do we do these things? No one even wants to consider sleep until three hours past my bedtime.
- Fluttery gallbladder weirdness, and 24-hour detox. Yes, that means 24 hours without food. What the impossible?!
- Aforementioned detox meant stirring a pot of divine Potato Kale soup without tasting a snitch until the next day. They say patience is a virtue, but it’s not one I like to practice all that often. Thankfully, you don’t have to. GO MAKE SOUP NOW.
And your weekend? How’d you fare?
Potato Kale Soup
In Food Rules, Michael Pollan encourages a diet where we "Eat Plants. Mostly Leaves." Which, in the case of this splendid soup is advice worth following. Super simple, filling, cheap, and healthy. Yes, mama. Your lucky day has come. This recipe is a great go-to meal for rainy days and busy nights and is kid and hubby approved. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small white onion, finely chopped
4 fresh garlic cloves, crushed
salt to taste
2 pounds Idaho potatoes, peeled and finely diced
4-5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 pound kale, finely chopped
Fresh ground pepperDirections:
In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat, then toss in your onion and cook until tender. Add the garlic and thin sprinkle of salt. Cook about 30 seconds. Then add the potatoes, and just enough broth to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil, add salt to taste. Once boiling, turn down the heat to medium-low and allow your soup to simmer for 30 minutes.
Toss the potato and soup mixture into a large blender and puree, or simply use a potato masher to really break up your potatoes. Stir the chopped kale into the soup, and allow to simmer and additional 10 minutes, leaving your pot uncovered this time. Salt and pepper, if needed. Serve with multigrain saltines, crusty bread, and giant spoons.
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Bev Weidner on January 16, 2012 at 6:31 am
I want to doggy paddle through both bowls.
xoxo.
Katrina on January 16, 2012 at 7:59 am
Mmm good health in a bowl!
Elizabeth on January 16, 2012 at 8:28 am
I am so fixing this!
And I love the way you write your blog. Keep it up!
Skye on January 16, 2012 at 1:00 pm
Mmm, I love potato soup and I love kale- this looks delicious! Wishing you lots of good house vibes, on both the selling and buying (or renting) sides!
Ashleyann on January 16, 2012 at 5:46 pm
Love your blog. Just saw your podcast on MS and want you to know that you have a family in Salt Lake who is rooting for you and yours! Me, my hubby and three little ones have been on a similar journey, and after many ups and downs, are experiencing a rich and joyful life with no regrets. Hang in there, and enjoy the journey. Here’s to the best year yet. :)
Ronda on January 16, 2012 at 8:08 pm
We’re getting ready to list our house and I’m overwhelmed with thoughts of trying to keep everything neat, tidy and just right with two little ones running around! I’ve already packed up 2 boxes of toys.
Best of luck and hope you get an offer soon!
STH on January 16, 2012 at 8:24 pm
Boy, big ups and downs here, too! Fun weekend in Portland–awful weather, but wonderful food, great music, a fascinating museum, and a lovely man to share it with. We came back to find that my father is now in hospice care and I have a half-terrifying, half-thrilling new job prospect. Yikes. YOU tell me how I’m supposed to feel, ’cause I have no idea!
All the best to you, Brooke. Hang in there and maybe both our lives will settle down soon.
Nancy on January 17, 2012 at 8:26 pm
Yeah, Unitarian Church! Too few people know what we have to offer. Just found your website via Pinterest. Good luck with the house sale and job hunting. These are tough times.
Apron Appeal on January 18, 2012 at 6:01 am
I did a 24 hour fast a few weeks ago. It was EXACTLY what I needed to jump start my mind and body into loving a healthy lifestyle again after the holidays.
glad you got so many showings on your house.
Scott Perry on January 18, 2012 at 7:19 am
Just listened to the podcast. So grateful for the courage of you both. It was like wonderful, cool water flowing over my wounded, scalded soul. Former missionary, seminary teacher, high councilor, bishop… Thank you.
Angie@Echoes Of Laughter Blog on January 18, 2012 at 2:47 pm
Brooke, I am not mormon and I have no connections to the LDS church whatsoever. I don’t even know anyone who is LDS. I listened to all 4 podcosts because your story was so intriguing. You and your husband are absolutely wonderful people. You are so, so brave to have the courage of your convictions and make choices that are more in line with your desires and needs. I teach my children to judge people by the content of their character {Martin Luther King}, and never because of their race, colour, sexual orientation, or religion. There are good people everywhere and in all walks of life. I feel so happy for you both as you have opened your heart and mind to so many possibilities. I don’t think God meant for us to let ourselves be organized into buildings and meetings and beaurocracys that prevent us from being true to our hearts. Religion and faith aren’t about going to a certain building every week…It comes from the heart and is actualized in kind deeds, love, and compassion. That is what makes God happy. Kudos to you both for taking this journery, as daunting as it may seem!! I sincerely wish you all the best!! I think any institution of higher learning would be happy to have your husband as part of their faculty….he seems like such a wonderful teacher! Your blog is fantastic too Brooke, and YOU WILL BE FINE!Angie xo
anna on January 20, 2012 at 6:44 pm
sounds like a rough one, good job on the fast! i am no good at those. this soup looks lovely.
meg on January 21, 2012 at 11:23 am
This soup looks wonderful. I don’t think I have ever had kale. What does it taste like?
Jill G. on January 22, 2012 at 7:58 pm
I made this soup tonight, except that I substituted one sweet potato for a potato, as I’m going through a sweet potato phase. The soup was great. Thanks for this easy, yummy, and nourishing recipe.
Maryanne Gobble on April 25, 2012 at 6:25 pm
I just made this for dinner. Really yummy. One pound kale seemed a little much. I put about one third of a 10 oz package of kale after chopping it finely in in a food processor. I think it was equivalent to about 4 cups loosely chopped, right out of the bag, kale
Eating it with 101 cookbooks little bread. Mmm mmm…
Can’t wait to try some more of your recipes!