Kale and Garlic Soup
January 23, 2010 – 9:52 amI love Kale. I love Garlic. And I love soup. A gastronomic match made in heaven.
This recipe is in the February issue of Vegetarian Times, and I happened to have all the ingredients for it on hand (except the wheat berries. I’m trying to cut back on the wheat consumption. I used cooked quinoa instead.) It is the most simple and wonderful pot of goodness you ever made.
Ingredients:
10 cloves of garlic, sliced thinly
1 bunch kale, chopped coarsely
2 tbsp olive oil
1 package shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup rice vinegar
4 cups veggie broth
1/2 cup cooked quinoa or raw wheat berries (if using wheat berries, soak them overnight)
Saute the mushrooms in the olive oil till tender, then add garlic and saute a couple more minutes. Add salt here if you like. Then add the rice vinegar and simmer till it’s mostly evaporated, scraping up any browned bits in the pot. Dump in the grain and stir around a bit before adding the broth. If you’re using a raw grain, you’ll want to simmer the pot for a while here so it cooks. If you do like me and use pre-cooked grains you already have in the fridge, you can go ahead and add the kale. Simmer till the kale is tender. Salt and pepper to taste. I did not add any other spices, which is unusual for me. Usually I think everything needs a dash of Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning. The mushrooms, garlic, and vinegar are beautifully flavorful enough.
Chow down. Eat your veggies!