tomato kale soup

I should gain some street cred in the food blog neighborhood simply by mentioning the word kale. This superfood has been all the rage lately. Kind of like quinoa. I use baby spinach a lot, but it is important to note that kale is not a fair substitute. As it says right there on the bag, these greens are meant for cookin'.

As I ventured into another adventurous ingredient, I used the frame of another comfort-zone favorite: soup. The thing I love about making soup is that it requires very little measurement. As long as you don't go crazy with salt or something, it is very forgiving. Start with the basics, and you can add almost anything you want.

The basics (in my soup). Sauteed onion, carrot, garlic.

Broth is a good next step. And for good measure, I decided to throw in some crushed tomatoes too. This delight has the consistency of tomato soup. So that's easy. Fill the can with water and toss that in too, bring everything to a boil, then reduced the heat to simmer.

Now is the time to get creative. In the flurry and excitement of adding things, I didn't take any photos, but here is what went into my soup: a good amount of kale (o'course), sliced mushrooms, chickpeas. Also, dried parsley, thyme, salt and pepper.

Voila. And a hungry little gold-toed sister.

When we sat down to enjoy this cozy wintery dish, I wasn't convinced it was quite right. For this, I channeled my former Georgian roommate Nino who made some pretty incredible soup, and I recalled that she often added rice vinegar. The bottle in my pantry is actually one I inherited when she flew home. I can't explain how it worked exactly, but it seemed to be just what was lacking.

I was quite happy with this kale experiment, and I was quite happy to eat it leftover for a couple days. Need I say more about the beauty of soup in winter. Some great homemade bread would be a welcome accompaniment. (I'm looking at you, Sarah and Tyler.)

Tomato Kale Soup

Serves 4-5

1 medium onion, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

14 oz. vegetable or chicken broth

28 oz. crushed tomatoes (Italian style)

2 handfuls of chopped kale, large stems removed

1 c. sliced mushrooms

14 oz. chickpeas, drained

1 t. dried parsley

1/2 t. dried thyme

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 T. rice vinegar

Saute onion and carrot until translucent, about five minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 more seconds. Stir in the vegetable stock, crushed tomatoes and a large canful of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low.

Add kale, mushrooms and chickpeas. Simmer 15 minutes or until ready to serve. Just before serving, stir in the rice vinegar.

With love.