Coming from possibly the most unsophisticated person in this ZIP code: this soup seems kinda sophisticated, somehow. (See picture for reference.) It's delicate, brothy, light–the polar opposite of the robust, meal-in-a-bowl, rib-sticking soups I tend to feature here.
This was a fine opener for yesterday's family Valentine dinner, the latter part of which consisted of hanger steak with a shallot-brandy sauce and (my favorite food in the whole wide world) good old-fashioned ultra-rich mashed potatoes. With more and different sorts of vegetables, though (blanched asparagus? cubes of Yukon Gold potatoes?), it could definitely make the leap from first course to full-on meal. And you can eat it with pinky crooked, or while simultaneously snarfing down Old German from the can… I'm sure it would be lovely either way.
Garlic-Kale Soup
Inspired by the Garlic Soup from Martha Rose Shulman's The Best Vegetarian Recipes
Serves four6 cups water or half-strength chicken or vegetable broth (if using canned broth, dilute 50-50 with water)
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
2 fresh sage leaves
2 small dried red chilies
1 tsp salt
Most of a bunch of kale, leaves cut away from the tough stems, rolled and sliced into ribbons
2 eggs, brought to room temperature
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to tasteIn a soup pot, combine water, garlic, bay leaves, sage, chilies and salt. Bring to a boil; cover and simmer until flavors have melded, about 25 minutes.
Remove bay leaves, sage and chilies from simmering broth. Add kale; cover and simmer until kale is just tender, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk together eggs and olive oil in a medium bowl (or a 2-cup glass measure, which is what I used and which worked brilliantly). Scoop out about 1/2 cup of hot soup, add to eggs and whisk together furiously.
Remove soup from heat. Add egg mixture to soup, whisking all the while. Taste for salt and pepper; serve immediately, if not sooner.
