Portuguese Potato Kale Soup

1 Tbsp. olive oil
3/4 cup diced leek, white and light green part
3/4 cup diced onion
1/4 diced celery
5 cups chicken broth
4 russet potatoes, peeled, cut into sixths
1 smoked ham hock
1 1/2 cups chopped kale
2 oz.Linguica sausage, diced (about 1/2 link)
1/2 bay leaf
Salt, as needed
Freshly ground black pepper, as needed

Heat oil in a soup pot over medium heat.
Add the leak, onion and celery.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, 4-6 minutes.
Add the broth, potatoes and ham hock.
Bring to a simmer and cook until the meat and vegetables are very tender, about 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
Use a paring knife to cut away the tough stems from the kale and discard them.
Blanch the kale in the boiling water until it wilts, about 3 minutes.
Drain kale, run it under cold water to stop cooking process and drain again.
Slice kale into thin strands.

Remove the ham hock from the soup base and set aside.
Puree the soup base (I love to use this handy little gadget from Braun),













return it to the pot (this isn't necessary if you've used the above gadget) and bring to a simmer.
When the ham hock is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bone and cut into small dice.
Add the diced ham, kale, sausage and bay leaf to the soup base.
Season to taste with salt and pepper and simmer 15-20 minutes longer.
Serve in heated bowls.

Note: I couldn't find any kale, so I left it out. I couldn't find the Linguica sausage, so I used Sweet Italian Sausage instead. I used 4 links, cut into bite-size pieces, browned separately in a small saute pan and drained on paper towels.

Delicious!

Servings: 4

Recipe from One Dish Meals by The Culinary Institute of America