I love kale enough that at least one person has referred to me as "the kale lady," and I use it often. This soup has pretty much become a staple in my choices of comfort food. Warm, richly flavored, and full of protein, accompanied by some good bread, this is a meal that can last you all day.
1 lb package of Italian turkey or pork sausage
2 tsp olive oil 2 medium or one large onion
10 oz. package or small head of kale, chopped
2 15 oz. cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 qt. low-salt vegetable or chicken stock
1 qt. (more or less) water
8 oz. can of tomato sauce (or small can of diced tomatoes)
few dashes of black pepper
few dashes of Aleppo pepper
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
Saute the sausage until browned on the outside. If you use turkey sausage, you may need to add the oil at this point; if you use pork sausage, you should drain off the fat, and then add the oil. Remove from pan and set aside to cool. Saute the onions until translucent.
While they cook, I usually go over the kale, separate the stems and chop them finely. They add texture and plenty of flavor, but if you really don't like them, at least save them for the stock pot! Once the sausages are cool enough to handle, peel the casings off and cut them into crosswise slices.
When the onions are done, add all the other ingredients and simmer for 1/2 hour or so. Enjoy.
Variations I have used include adding diced potatoes and/ or sliced carrots. If you do this, let them cook about 15 minutes in the stock before you add the kale and the beans.
