Potato, Sausage, and Kale Soup

Warm yourself up from the inside out with this zesty potato, sausage, and kale soup made with hot sausage, fresh kale, and mashed potatoes!

This post is sponsored by the Ohio Pork Council. All opinions are my own.

I am so tired of being cold! I know the #1 reason I moved away from TN 3 years ago was the infernal summer heat and humidity but dang it I don’t remember winter’s being this consistently cold. Thankfully there’s plenty of belly warmer food to be had, especially lately as I’ve been hanging out with the Ohio Pork Council.

While I love beef, I make an effort to reduce my red meat intake and replace it mostly with poultry and occasionally tofu. But over the past year I’ve rediscovered my love for all things pork – and not just bacon. It is the other white meat after all, is incredibly versatile, economical, and can be even more flavorful and juicy than chicken if cooked properly. My partnership with the Ohio Pork Council has been the driving force behind that and I can’t thank them enough for showing me the way.

Not only have I learned how to cook pork, but I’ve also had the pleasure to meet the hog farmers right here in Ohio. Heck I even got to visit Surber Farms and walked through pen after pen of curious pigs (post to come soon I promise)! You’d think I wouldn’t be able to eat pork after that but despite their cuteness, they are mighty tasty and have lived a good life. But I digress.

My most recent interaction with Ohio hog farmers (and soy farmers that produce the food for the pigs) came in the form of lunch at Bob Evans’ corporate headquarters right here in Columbus with several other Ohio-area bloggers. After touring their test kitchen (and learning a quick trick on how to easily remove sausage from the packaging), we were served several dishes all made with Bob Evans pork products – many of the farmers in attendance raise the very pigs that go into their sausage! How often do you get to meet the people who raised the food you are eating? Many of these farms have been in their families for generations and it’s wonderful to see how passionate they are and how much they care about the animals.

The Asian Maple Sausage Meatballs were one of my favorites but as Jill of Foodtastic Mom already shared that recipe I decided to go for something to thaw the chill that has seeped into my bones all these months of winter. For some added heat, this soup is made with a zesty hot sausage and a little bit of jalapeno. Don’t require that much heat? Use regular sausage and a little bit of bell pepper instead. Oh and did I mention there’s also mashed potatoes in this soup? Yea get this in your belly asap. Check out recipes shared from other bloggers who I had lunch with including Lemons for Lulu, The Food Hussy, and Plowing Through Life.

Three years ago: 14 DIY Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas

Four years ago: Chocolate Covered Strawberry Peeps Cupcakes for Two

Six years ago: Cinnamon-Blueberry Bread Pudding

Seven years ago: Asiago Bagels (with Chipotle Pepper or Garlic & Chive Cream Cheese)

SOUP

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 lb. Bob Evans Zesty Hot Roll Sausage

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded & minced

4 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 pkg Bob Evans Sour Cream & Chive Mashed Potatoes

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 bunch kale, washed, stems removed, leaves coarsely chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Heat a large pot over medium heat, add the pork sausage, crumble, and cook until no longer pink. Drain, remove to a paper towel lined plate, and set aside.
2. Put pot back over medium heat and melt the butter. Add the onions, scraping up any sausage bits left behind, and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add jalapeno and cook another 2 minutes. Pour in broth, cover the pot and allow the mixture to simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Stir in the mashed potatoes until fully incorporated and simmer an additional 10 minutes. Puree the soup with an immersion blender until smooth (or add a to a blender).
4. Add the sausage to the soup along with the heavy cream, stirring to mix, and bring soup to a simmer. Stir in the kale, cover and turn off the heat. Allow the soup to sit for 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and sliced green onion.

Source: Bob Evans