Kale soup with garlic croûtons
Ingredients
- 50 g butter or margarine
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 carrots sliced
- 500 g kale thick stems removed and discarded
- 1.2 litres water
- 600 ml vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 300 gpotatoes peeled and sliced
- pinch of grated nutmeg
- salt and pepper
- 2 kale leaves thinly shredded, to garnish
Garlic croûtons
- 8 slices of white or brown bread crusts removed
- 8 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves sliced
Instructions
- Melt the butter or margarine in a large saucepan, add the onion and fry for 5 minutes until softened and just beginning to turn golden. Add the carrots and kale in batches, stirring all the time, and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the water, stock, lemon juice, potatoes and nutmeg, with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to the boil, stirring from time to time. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 35 minutes or until all the vegetables are soft. Purée the mixture in batches in a blender or food processor, adding extra water if it is too thick.
- Prepare the croûtons by cutting the bread into 1 cm (½ inch) cubes. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the garlic and cook over a moderate heat for 1 minute. Add the bread squares and fry, turning frequently, until evenly golden brown. Transfer the croûtons to kitchen paper with a slotted spoon to drain. Discard the garlic, then add the thinly shredded kale to the pan and fry, stirring constantly until crispy.
- Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning if needed and reheat without boiling. Serve in heated soup plates with the garlic croûtons and crispy kale.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
For spiced kale soup, fry the onion as above, add the carrots and kale in batches then stir in 1 teaspoon smoked paprika and 2 chopped garlic cloves and cook for 2 minutes. Continue as above, adding ¼ teaspoon dried crushed red chilli to the oil when frying the croûtons.