My mother's side of the family is Portuguese. Immigrated here from the Azores off the coast of Portugal. When my mother was growing up they lived all over the world. Brazil, Portugal, Columbia, California and New England. While I was growing up my Vava (Portuguese for grandmother) lived in New Bedford, Mass where there is a huge Portuguese community. I have so many fond memories of going up north and most of them have something to do with food. Going to Portuguese restaurants and ordering Shrimp Mozambique. Getting fish and chips, or going to a creamery and getting clam cakes and ice cream. Or getting up early before heading back to Virginia and stopping at this one Portuguese bakery and getting fresh Masa to take home with us. My Vava is an amazing cook and apparently cooks like me and doesn't measure anything! She would make me pickled onions and have them ready for me when I would come up to visit, she makes an amazing Beef Stroganoff and the BEST lemon meringue pie. She always makes Kale Soup every time we come to visit, and most times she would have it ready for us when we would get there. It was always the first meal of the trip and would start things off perfectly! When my husband and I took the kids up this past summer I made sure to sit down with her and get her to recite her Kale Soup recipe to me so I could write it down and have it forever. I know she's getting to a point in her life where it's not the easiest for her to stand for long periods and there may not be many more pots of Kale Soup waiting for us on our arrivals. I felt like it was maybe one of my last chances to get this precious information from her! The recipe was so simple that I just had to make it as soon as we arrived back home! I have changed some of the ingredients to make an organic version, and used a local fresh made linguica so the final result was not an exact replica, but that's ok with me. I think I might try to get some linguica a little closer to what they have up north or get someone up there to express me some! As the soup was cooking my whole house smelled like my Vava's house and it was such a heartwarming feeling. I plan on making this on a regular basis to keep the tradition going. Maybe next summer I could even make it for her!
Irene's Kale Soup
32 oz of certified organic chicken broth
8 cups of water
1 chopped small onion
1 tomato (peeled then chopped)
1 can of cannellini beans
1 large russet potato
1/2 lb of linguica (Portuguese sausage)
1-2lb bone in beef shank
8 cups of water
1 chopped small onion
1 tomato (peeled then chopped)
1 can of cannellini beans
1 large russet potato
1/2 lb of linguica (Portuguese sausage)
1-2lb bone in beef shank
1. Heat up chicken broth and water. Add chopped onion, and tomato.
2. When water has come to a light boil add beef shank, and linguica. Cook until beef falls off bone and starts to get really tender.
3. Add chopped potato and drained can of beans. Cook until potato is tender but not too soft.
4. Remove beef shank bone from soup. You can use a hand held potato masher to break up the potato, but just a little bit.
5. Add chopped kale, and cook until it is tender.
2. When water has come to a light boil add beef shank, and linguica. Cook until beef falls off bone and starts to get really tender.
3. Add chopped potato and drained can of beans. Cook until potato is tender but not too soft.
4. Remove beef shank bone from soup. You can use a hand held potato masher to break up the potato, but just a little bit.
5. Add chopped kale, and cook until it is tender.