use it up tuesday :: very green soup

Creamy, nutritious – and very green

Large, lush bunches of kale beckon me like sirens from the produce aisle. I usually eat gorgeously green Lacinato kale fresh and raw in a massaged salad. But this week, between mourning my Buttons' passing, dealing with Bossa Nova who was also ill, and work, the kale was forgotten in the produce drawer. When I rediscovered it, the once-firm leaves were just starting to droop and look sad. So I decided to make soup. A very green soup.

This potage is light, nutrient-dense and, you guessed it, easy to make. The frozen artichokes and cup of lettuce infuse it with a sweet, subtle creaminess, and the basil gives you just a hint of the impending warmer weather – much needed on a frigid day like this. As with most of my recipes, it's modular. You can sub any leafy green [eg, chard, spinach] for the kale. And if you are craving something richer, sub a non-dairy milk for half of the vegetable broth.

Very Green Soup

• 1 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 7-8 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• Pinch nutmeg
• 1 bunch kale, preferably Lacinato, de-stemmed and roughly chopped 
• 1 cup frozen artichoke hearts
• 2-3 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 T fresh basil, chopped (or 1 T, dried)
• 6 cups vegetable broth [I recommend Better Than Bouillon, No Chicken Base]  
• Salt, to taste

Serves 8

In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium. Saute garlic and red pepper flakes for about 5 minutes, or until garlic is soft. Stir nutmeg into the oil, then add kale and cook until it wilts a bit, about 5 minutes. 

Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to low, and simmer covered for about 30 minutes or until kale is soft. Puree very carefully in a blender or using an immersion blender 

Thank you

I will always love my little girl Buttons. 

A thousand thank yous all for your kind words about my little Buttons. I have been a mess this week, even though I know she is in a better place. I miss her presence terribly – her meow, her tenacity, her big personality and just knowing she is here with us. The negative space left by this 3.8 pound kitty is abysmal. Bossa Nova and Pablo have also been grieving, though they're doing much better, and it's heartbreaking to watch them. For the first two days, Pablo just say on the couch and stared at the corner where Buttons liked to sleep, as if he were watching for her. And Bossa Nova, who is super cranky, has become clingy and a veritable cuddle monster.