Hearty Portuguese Kale Soup

I made this soup during my Dad's last visit. I am half Portuguese on my father's side, but by the time I was born, my Nana had long ago hung up her apron and her desire to cook. This was the first time I had made or tried this rich and hearty meal. Blue and I loved it, but for my dad, it was really a treat. He said it was every bit as good as the one he remembered from his childhood visits to Rhode Island. I served it with crusty buttered rolls and Nana's "Pappish" (Portuguese Sweet Rice). The entire meal was a hit of epic proportions.

I get a lot of kale from my summer CSA, so how to use it up is always a question. This soup is a great way to use up it up (despite making it on a 90 degree day!), and it freezes well. Perfect for a "what am I going to bring for a work lunch?" question, with a slice of toasted sourdough break alongside.<br/><br/>Few changes - I used sweet sausage, and added an additional 2 cups of chicken stock, as the liquid will get soaked up by the potatoes and pasta. Added 2/3 of a cup of orzo instead of the 1-1/2 cups of ditalini.

Delicious! I took some advice from other posters and added the 2 gloves of garlic while sauteing the onions and sausage (the recipe calls for chorizo however, I used linquica). I cut the pasta down to one cup from the one and half the recipe calls for and the potatoes I used were average sized not "large". I also added some red pepper flakes to add a little extra heat! This will certainly be my Kale Soup Recipe for the rest of my life!!! Obrigado

As good as this soup may be, it is really missing the authentic Portuguese touch. Portuguese sausage-linguisa or chorico -should be used. It is the only way to get authentic flavor. Many also add a meaty beef shank bone. All meat should be browned first for flavor. Depending on your tolerance for heat, crushed red pepper also adds flair. Another authentic addition is shredded cabbage. Pasta is only a filler and is too much starch with potatoes. Although I am not Portuguese, I have lived in communities highly populated by Portuguese folks and many real Portuguese restaurants. Mexican or Italian sausage does not make Portuguese soup.

I could only find Mexican chorizo, the kind you cook and crumble, and I couldn't find ditalini, so I used rings pasta instead. Despite not having the correct ingredients, the soup turned out delicious. The only trouble I had was with the amount of potatoes. I ended up having to add another 3 cups of broth because there was too many potatoes.