Quick Kale Soup

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Mid October was when she started dressing in layers.  The entrance of cold somehow bit her at the core and she was already striving for warmth even before the winter approached.  Having cleaned up and dressed in comfort, she decided to brew up a warm soup for her midday sustenance.  The kale had now been sitting in the refrigerator for over 2 weeks.  She couldn't bring herself to dispose of it. So precious in nutrients, born of the land, the kale must be eaten.

And that was that.  Into the kitchen she found herself preparing the raw vegetables that would encompass her soup di giorno (or du jour); Italian or French, whatever suits your fancy.  She started with dicing the onion just a quarter of a Vidalia and let that begin to sauté in some olive oil as she quickly washed the kale, massaged it, drained it and chopped it.  Next, 3 cloves of garlic were peeled for the press.  A last minute addition came as she opened the fridge and searched for any hot ideas: asparagus (out of season but something she was drawn to at the store- a longing).  

Into the onions after 3 minutes by themselves, she added the garlic and stirred.  Garlic is delicate and therefore she would only sauté it for 30 seconds.  The kale was ready and dumped in with enough oil from the beginning to cover the greens gently.  She tossed the vegetable mixture together then added a splash of Pinot Grigio and listened to the sizzle.  About a minute later the liquids were added with one part broth and three parts water.  Her friend had given her some Korean red mahtjang sauce (it is miso with Korean red pepper), which she added a few large spoons of and stirred into the liquidly, vegetable mixture.  She topped it off with a shake of sesame oil, soy sauce and a few dashes of salt.  There.  Lunch.  Yum she thought, although as she leaned over the bubbling brew to get a whiff, the scent was not enticing nor promising as it only smelled of raw kale.

At home in the kitchen, her easel, her medium, her art - she lowered the heat down to a light simmer, stirring once more and then covered.  She walked away with a sense that everything would come together in time.  And she was actually a little excited to see how it came out.  She let it cooked for 20 minutes.  

What she made was a masterpiece.

The smell had morphed into a deliciousness she couldn't explain.  The asparagus was tender and the kale was enlivened.  The golden brown sautéed onions added a sweetness to the taste.

Another lovely afternoon of caring for herself, practicing her art and making a concoction that was healthy and pleasant, extremely pleasant, to her palette. 

Quick Kale Soup

servings 2

2 T olive oil

1/4 sweet onion, diced

3 small garlic cloves

one bunch of kale

about 7 asparagus stalks

1 T white wine

1 cup broth

3 cups water

3 T red mahtjang (miso) sauce

1 t sesame oil

1 T soy sauce

1/4 t salt

1. Prep all vegetables first.  Chop onions, peel garlic, rinse and chop kale, rinse and snap asparagus. 

2. Warm oil in pot.  Add onions and sauté 3-4 minutes, until golden brown.  Crush in garlic and cook for 30 seconds.   Add kale and tossed to get all leaves lightly coated with oil.

3. Splash in white wine and cook for 1 minute.  Then add in all liquids.  Stir gently.

4.  Add in remaining ingredients, stir again, lower heat so that the soup is at a light simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes.

5.  Enjoy!