This is what is called Portuguese kale soup on Cape Cod. Many years ago, before the internet, I had it in Provincetown and came home and tried to duplicate it. Much of the flavor in the soup comes from kielbasa. I use any smoked sausage. I don't add water, but I do add a can of chopped tomatoes.

I've never seen a greens & beans type soup made with potatoes or heavy cream. Since you don't want to add spices or anything hot, what about adding some parmesan cheese? I'd like it with hot pepper and parmesan. :O)

Your recipe is very similar to this one I made this year for our soup party. It was OMG good! Maybe add some bacon and a pinch of cayenne in addition to the sausage?

One thing I did notice with this recipe is that if the leftovers don't get eaten within a day or so the kale starts to get bitter.

Zuppa Toscana
Source: Tasty Kitchen

1 pound Italian Sausage
1-1/2 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
4 strips Bacon, Sliced In 1/2" Pieces
1 whole Diced Onion
4 cloves Garlic, Grated On A Microplane
10 cups Chicken Stock Or Broth
1 pound Russet Potatoes, Sliced
1 cup Heavy Cream
1/2 bunches Kale Leaves, Chopped

Saute Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in a large pot. Drain excess fat, and set aside while you cook the remaining ingredients.
In the same pan, saute bacon, onions and garlic over low-medium heat for approximately 15 minutes or until the onions are soft. Add chicken stock/broth and sausage to the pot and heat until it starts to boil.
Add the sliced potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour. Add the heavy cream and just cook until thoroughly heated. Stir in the kale, let all heat through and serve. Delicious!

Linda

I made a huge pot of this stuff, so if the kale gets bitter, I am in trouble. Bacon, sausage and a little cayenne may be just the ticket, maybe some tomato. I knew I could count on you people!

I make this kind of soup all the time. Any kind of spicy pork meat will be good unless you want to go with the pork alternatives. We often use this great spicy Italian turkey sausage we get at the farm market. But bacon or pancetta works too, but just a little. I even use fake italian soy sausage. Also parmesean and sometimes a can of fire roasted tomatoes. But I always douse my soups with a dash of "Mrs. Dash" garlic and herb mix, or the Italian one. But if not that, then some type of spiced protein.

This the Chicken Kale soup I make - Lpink & her BF love it also! I think the secret is roasting the potatoes - I heavily season them w/pepper and or McCormick Spicy Montreal Steak seasoning.
I am probably going to make it today ahead of the ice storm.

Kale and Chicken Stew
Serves 6-8

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I use leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken)
5 medium mixed potatoes; diced (I used Yukon gold, red and purple)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme-omit if I don't have
4 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion; chopped
1 large shallot; minced
2 carrots; peeled and diced
6 cups chicken stock - homemade preferrably
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese; finely grated
5 cups chopped kale
15-ounce can cannellini beans; drained
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan. Rub with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. In a separate sheet pan, toss the potatoes with olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the meat. Cover and set aside.

Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and shallot and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the carrots and cook 15 minutes until softened. Add in chicken stock, thyme, chicken, potatoes, Parmesan, salt and pepper bring to a simmer. Add the kale and beans and simmer for another 20 minutes, until the kale is tender and the beans are hot.

Related: Five Ways to Eat: Kale

Rebekah Peppler
November 2, 2010 06:00PM

I just mis-read your original post - you want to add something to your soup now -- I would try adding some cooked chicken, or Italian Sausage (I make my own from bland turkey breast).
If you don't want to add meat, roasting a variety of vegetables - not many - and adding to the soup would add flavor and aroma.
Next time, try the recipe I posted above and see if you like it :~)

LOL M-rivergirl, I just made some last night! Mmmmmm!

My daughter loves kale and potato soup. I haven't made it in a while but I always put in sausage. It tastes much better with sausage.

I've read here about kale getting bitter if cooked to long. I find the opposite. I always cook kale for at least an hour or more. The recipe I follow says only 20 min. but the kale taste terrible at that point.

I agree about adding chicken, and if you have a can (or two) of chicken breast meat, add it along with the liquid in the can. It has more flavor than cooked chicken.

Another add-in I'd grab from the cabinet is McCormick White Chicken Chili seasoning mix. It only takes a little (definitely NOT the whole packet) to add flavor.

Canned chicken and the seasoning mix are included in my "emergency" foods. ;-)

-Grainlady

I know you said nothing spicy but if you add smoked paprika, that is the flavor that is predominant in a lot of kielbasa. It is not a "hot" spice but a flavorful one. You can add sweet paprika too which is not hot, but tasty. If I get a soup that is too bland, I find parm cheese and a few dashes of tabasco (not to heat it but to add flavor) tend to help a lot.

Lots of great suggestions here!. Thanks I will head over to the store to buy something more for this insipid soup. I do have Montreal Seasoning, so maybe I'll try that along with sausage. Perhaps I could divide it into batches and try different things in each -- Philadelphia's Test Kitchen!

Salt, pepper, and garlic powder would be my first go-to spices.

We had an unexpected snowstorm today and the roads were awful. I did not get to the grocery store, so I added the Montreal Steak Seasoning as Rivergirl suggested and because I had it on hand. Wowza! That brought the whole thing to life. I am going back for seconds. Think I'll still add the sausage tomorrow.

Something which will increase the acidity a bit will make it less blah. Tomato, wine or vinegar are some possibilities.

Jim

So happy my suggestion saved your soup -- and with a local (for me) spice company! Yay!
Yup! Winter has arrived!