Paleo Creamy Sausage and Kale Soup: Quite possibly the most delicious soup you will ever eat.

If you follow things discerning nutrition and the Paleo lifestyle, you know that kale is a super food, loaded with an amazing amount of vitamins and minerals. This soup is a delicious and delightful combination of Italian sausage, kale, additional vegetables, and creamy full fat coconut. The latter ingredient, the coconut milk, and a dash of nutmeg, make this a soup to die for. I found the recipe in the latest Paleo magazine and reworked the instructions to make it work better. Enjoy!

Paleo Creamy Sausage and Kale Soup
modified from Paleo Magazine

Ingredients:

• 2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) or Coconut Oil, divided
• 1 lb Italian, hot or sweet, chicken, turkey, or pork sausage, casing removed
• 1 C Onion, chopped
• 2 medium Carrots, chopped
• 2 medium Celery stalks, chopped
• 2 Garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ tsp Nutmeg
• 4 C Chicken broth
• 5 C Kale, chopped, thick stems removed, leaves torn from the ribs, about one medium bunch¹
• 1 can full-fat Coconut milk²
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Optional additions:³

• Cauliflower, cut into bite size florets
• Cabbage, cut from thin to medium slice

Directions:

1. Heat one tablespoon of oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add sausage and cook, stirring to break up any large pieces, until mostly cooked through, about 8 to 9 minutes.
2. Remove sausage to a plate and set aside.
3. Add the remaining one tablespoon of oil along with onion, carrots, and celery.
   Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 6 to 8 minutes.
4. Add garlic and nutmeg and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
5. Return sausage to pot. Add broth and bring to a boil.
6. Reduce heat to low, stir in the kale and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.³
7. Stir in coconut milk, heat, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Notes:

1. You can often find large bags of kale, trimmed and washed, at your favorite grocery store. You may still want strip the leaves from their ribs.
2. Canned coconut milk separates in storage. The can must be shaken extremely well to recombine. Or empty the can into a bowl and whisk to combine. Another option is heating the can on the “warmer” burner of your stove, if you have one, for about an hour. Or you can use the smallest burner on its lowest setting. But you should still check to see if it has been properly recombined.
3. Try adding cauliflower in small florets and/or cabbage, shredded thin to medium, at the same time you add the kale. When vegetables are soft, the soup is ready to eat.