Recipe from Essential Emeril
“This recipe is an excellent example of how simple ingredients can be transformed into comfort food that will satisfy and sustain. My mother, Hilda, made this traditional Portuguese soup most every week when I was growing up. When I became a chef at Commander’s Palace, I made it for my staff, using andouille sausage instead of the traditional chorizo. When I opened Emeril’s, I put it on the menu.
While I prefer Portuguese chouriço, I use the more common Spanish chorizo here. Try them both and use what you like best.”
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound hot, cured, Spanish chorizo, cut into 1⁄4-inch-thick rounds
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 3 cups diced (1⁄2-inch) peeled Russet potatoes
- 3 1⁄2 quarts (14 cups) chicken stock
- 2 bunches (3⁄4 to 1 pound) red- or green-leaf kale, washed well and stemmed
- 1⁄4 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- Crushed red pepper, to taste
- 1⁄4 cup fresh mint chiffonade
In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the chorizo and onion, and
season with the salt and pepper. Cook, stirring a few times, until the onion begins to soften, 3-
5 minutes. Add the garlic, potatoes and 3 quarts (12 cups) of the stock. Bring to a simmer and
Meanwhile, roughly chop the kale. Put 3 cups in a blender and the remainder in the soup pot. Add the remaining 2 cups stock and the parsley to the blender and blend into a smooth, juice-like purée; set aside.
Add the bay leaves, thyme and crushed red pepper to the soup, and continue to simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes longer, then stir in the kale purée and cook for another 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in the mint chiffonade. Serve the soup in large bowls with crusty bread.
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