Kielbasa and Kale Soup

Now I know that this particular soup is more suited to starving winter palates, but I'm in the Pacific Northwest, and therefore summer is rather a relative term. Some days it's summer-ish, others you're freezing your bullocks off and wondering if it is in fact October. Seriously, I wore a warm coat through much of June.

I'm always looking for ways to get Ian to eat kale since I can't get enough of the green leafy stuff, but he wrinkles his nose at the mere mention of kale. Luckily, he'll try anything, so even if something has kale in it, his adventurous side allows him to at least give it a shot. This soup turned out fabulous, and Ian likes it so much I've now made it a handful of times. Sometimes I'll use chicken kielbasa but more often than not turkey kielbasa is what's on sale, and I have a fondness for turkey.

Kielbasa and Kale Soup
Adapted from Life's Ambrosia

1 tbsp. olive oil
3/4 cup onion
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
3-4 small red potatoes, diced
1 turkey kielbasa (I use Jennie-O)
1/4 cup dry white wine
3 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 large cluster of kale, torn into pieces
3/4 cup half and half
Cayenne pepper

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat; add onion and saute until translucent. Add garlic when onions are almost cooked through. Add potatoes and saute about 3-4 minutes; add kielbasa and saute 3-4 minutes more.

2. Add white wine to pot along with chicken stock. Simmer on medium low heat 15 minutes; add kale and simmer 15 minutes longer.

3. Once potatoes are tender, reduce heat to low and add half and half. Stir in a pinch of cayenne pepper and freshly ground black pepper to taste.