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Sweet Potato, Kale, and Sausage stew

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Ok, it’s freezing all over America, right? Like everywhere? Except here. Our former town is probably covered in frost and ice (Can someone in Leland, MS confirm, please?) but here in Laurel, it’s just overcast and muggy. Although there’s SO MUCH to love about the deepest and farthest south, the winter weather isn’t one of them if you happen to like cold. However, I’m not going to let our mosquito-ridden warm front stop me from making the most delicious, easy, healthy soup on the planet, snuggling up with a bowl of it, cup of hot coffee, and pretend it’s a glorious 21 degrees. I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend you do this, also, even if you aren’t pretending.

Hearty Sweet Potato, Kale, and Sausage Soup
What you need:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 small to medium sweet potatoes, cubed
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
About 1lb of Italian sausage. (Italian sausage is CRITICAL here. Also, I like HOT, but mild is fine if you aren’t into spicy)
1 cup fusilli pasta
salt and pepper to taste
4-6 cups Kale, roughly chopped (2 smaller bunches or one bag)
5-6 cups chicken stock OR the same amount of water +3 tablespoons of chicken bullion.

What you do:
Sautee’ your onions and garlic in the oil until transluscent and season with salt and pepper, then cook your sausage in a pot (if you have links, you can boil them then sautee’ them and cut them into rounds, OR you can just cut them open to cook the sausage without casings.)

 
Add in the sweet potatoes and stir a bit until the BRIGHT orange color pops, then pour in your chicken stock.  Bring it to a boil, and let it cook for 5 minutes or so on high, then add in your cup of pasta. Salt and pepper to taste. Let this do a medium simmer for about 20 minutes and then throw in your kale at the last minute.  You’ll just want it to turn bright green and wilt a bit. You can let it simmer for a bit longer, then serve with cornbread or french bread or, you know, a giant glass of Pinot Noir.

I can’t tell you how many compliments I get when I serve this soup to people… and it’s SO easy. Did you notice that basically ALL the flavor comes from the sausage and the vegtables? I’ve learned that if I don’t think my sausage has enough fennel in it, I can just throw some extra seeds in at the beginning for good measure. 🙂 Happy snowstorm, winter, or in south Mississippi’s case, belated September everybody!