Under the Weather: Kale, Sausage & Ravioli Soup

When I'm congested, exhausted, and up to my ears in snot, I'm useless in the kitchen. That's me today. Almost everything seems tasteless and my head is swimming. My remedy is to go back to my childhood and make what my dad would make for me. He'd open up a can of chicken noodle soup, fry up a grilled cheese and pop open a ginger ale. I'd spend the day watching cartoons, or snoozing, and if I was really good he'd make some jello! Here's my updated version of feel good food for when I (or anyone in my home) am feeling bad:

Kale Soup with Chicken Sausage & Mini-Ravioli

  • 8 cups of chicken stock
  • 1 bunch of kale, washed, stripped & chopped (the ribs are too tough to eat in the soup, so compost them or give to the dog as a super healthy treat!)
  • 6 chicken sausages, browned then sliced on a bias
  • store bought mini ravioli
  • half a cup of dry white wine
  • 1 shallot, sliced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, diced
  • olive oil
  • bundle of thyme & rosemary
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 star anise
  • coarse cracked pepper
  • salt to taste

Method:

  1. put stock & spices into a large soup pot, warm on med/high
  2. in a skillet brown the sausages on all sides
  3. remove browned sausages, slice on a bias and add to stock pot
  4. deglaze the skillet with the wine, using a wooden spoon to break up the little bits of sausage. Reduce on med/high for 5 mins, then add to the soup pot
  5. add olive oil to the skillet and add kale, shallot & garlic, med/high
  6. allow the kale, shallot & garlic to cook for 5-10 mins, then add to soup
  7. bring the soup to almost a boil, then turn it down to a simmer, taste for seasoning
  8. in a seperate stock pot cook up your ravioli, then drain & toss with some olive oil
  9. portion your ravioli into bowls, saving the leftover noodles for another day, then ladle over the soup
  10. garnish with some chili flakes, a side of grilled cheese, saltines, fresh scallions, etc...

This weekend is my son's Christmas performance, as well as my annual cookie baking day, so I need to be at my best. Kale & Chicken Sausage soup will have us all feeling better in no time!

For more information about kale, or to expand your kale-recipe-horizons, visit EatMoreKale.com.