Acorn Squash Soup with Kale

Do you may remember last week when I purchased a lot of acorn squash. Tonight I  used one of the bags of puree to make this soup. Easy to prepare, having the puree already made, and perfect for a chilly December night.

Acorn Squash Soup with Kale, from Martha Stewart

Ingredients -
4 strips bacon, 4 ounces, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 pound kale, thick stems removed, leaves finely chopped (about 8 cups)
4 cups Acorn Squash Puree, or 2 packages (12 ounces each) frozen winter squash puree, thawed
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Method -
Cook bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate; set aside.

Add onion to fat in pan, and cook until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add kale; cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add squash puree and 3 cups water (or more if necessary to achieve desired consistency); bring just to a boil. Season generously with salt and pepper. Serve, garnished with reserved bacon.

Lentils with Chorizo and Kale

But we had sausage last night! This recipe is a variation on a Food & Wine recipe, Lentils with Smoked Sausage and Carrots. I had the carrots but I also had kale.

We both of enjoyed this. The kale was not overpowering and the Chorizo added almost enough spice to the dish. I also added a Parmesan rind to the pot, couldn't hurt!

Lentils with Chorizo and Kale

Ingredients -
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 3/4-inch pieces
1 pound lentils (about 2 1/3 cups)
1 quart water
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 bay leaf
1 piece of Parmesan rind
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 pound Chorizo cut diagonally into 3/4-inch slices
1 head of Kale, rinsed and removed from the stem and roughly cut
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Method -
In a large saucepan, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the lentils, water, salt, bay leaf, Parmesan rind and thyme. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, partially covered, until the lentils are almost tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaf.

Stir in the Chorizo, kale and parsley. Cook until the lentils are just tender but not falling apart and the Chorizo is warm, about 15 minutes longer.

Hearty Minestra with Butternut Squash and Kale

Let me start by saying that this was so good we are having the leftovers tomorrow night. The recipe is from Lidia's Italy. My mom use to make Minestra when I was a kid. The difference in her recipe, which of course I do not have written down, was that I do not remember her adding tomato to the base.

Lidia's recipe is fairly easy, it just takes time. This time, I made this about a year ago, I remembered to soak the beans the night before and I had bacon to make the Pestata.

The squash was from my sister's garden. It was very large. When I tried to weigh it whole I kept getting an error message!

Kale, White Bean and Chicken Sausage Soup

Started by sauteing chopped onions and carrots. Added some sliced Chicken Kielbasa. Next I added the chicken broth. Cooked the kale until it was tender. Tossed in the cannellini beans and let it all simmer. Salt, pepper, crushed red pepper. We both went back for seconds!