Kale and Potato Soup

Two months ago I was helping prepare soup for the Bistro at the Fort Omaha Campus. The two soups that I worked on were egg drop and a kale soup with great northern bean. I learned a few tricks when preparing the egg drop that I had never thought of using. The most useful of these tricks being a whisk to feather the eggs into the broth to keep them light and thin. The real surprise came with the kale soup. This sturdy green cooked wonderfully in a rich and savory vegetable stock with sautéed mirepoix. The extra beans came from the Tuscan Minestrone preparation for the Ron Sailors event which occurred just a few nights before. The great northern beans added contrasting color and a creamy texture that made the soup very satisfying. After a number of months with kale on the brain, I spotted some at the local grocery store. My rendition of this soup used gold potatoes and thick cut bacon crumbles instead of the beans. Sautéed mirepoix and vegetable stock that I had prepared is the base of the soup. A simple herb, garlic and pepper sachet helped develop additional layers of flavor. The entire batch was eaten without any going in the freezer. I will be making this again.