Kale Soup with Potatoes and Chorizo in an Instant Pot is refresingly different and quite satifsying.
Kale Soup with Potatoes and Chorizo in an Instant Pot
Course: Breakfast, Lunch, SnacksCuisine: American4
servingsIngredients
1 Tbs bacon fat
5 fresh chorizo sausages (19 oz.)
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼-inch cubes
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
9 oz. stemmed and coarsely chopped kale (about 6 cups)
4 cups chicken broth, divided
1 tsp chicken stock reduction
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
Coarsely ground black pepper
3 plum tomatoes, cored and cut into ½-inch dice
1 can (15-oz.) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Crusty bread, for serving
Soft butter, for serving
Directions
- Set the Instant Pot to SAUTÉ, more (30 minutes). Without waiting for the “hot” indication, place the bacon fat into the pot. Once it’s melted, lift the inner pot and swirl it around to coat the botton with oil. Use long-handled tongs to carefully add the sausages and cook until browned on all sides, about 6 minutes, covered with a spatter screen. Remove the sausages to a plate and pierce each one a few times with the tip of a knife. A very dark fond will have developped in the bottom of the pot. Add the onion to the pot and cook for 2 minutes, deglazing as you go. Add the potatoes and garlic, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently-to-constantly. Add the kale and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of the chicken broth and thouroughly deglaze the pan. CANCEL the sauté.
- Stir in remaining broth, reduction, vinegar, and salt. Use a flexible spatula to scrape down the side of the pot. Clean the rim with a damp cloth. Lay the sausages on top of the kale mixture, discarding any juices that may have seeped onto the plate. Set the Instant Pot to SOUP, less (6 minutes), high (pressure), quick release.
- Season moderately with pepper. Stir in the tomatoes and beans. If screwing the lid back onto the pot causes the pressure valve to pop back up, quick-release it – but make sure not to accidentally lock the release button into the venting position. Set the Instant Pot to PRESSURE COOK, less (0 minutes), low (pressure), quick release. Season to taste.
- Remove the sausages, slice them into rounds, (slice the rounds into half-moons, perhaps), and garnish each serving with several rounds. (Stir leftover rounds back into the soup before refrigerating.) Serve with crusty bread and soft butter.
Notes
- Substitutions: olive oil for the bacon fat
- I developed this recipe for a six-quart Instant Pot. If using a different size or type of pot, you may need to make modifications. Althought the pot may say “instant,” this recipe’s long list of ingredients will make for anything but quick work. Maybe this is more of a weekend dish than a weeknight dish.
This soup has a light, vegetable-soup vibe, with a bit of peppery heat that hits you as a finish, even before you come upon a bite of the chorizo. When you do come upon a bite, it changes everything: meaty and hearty, with a mild, high-pitched spiciness that stays with you for a while. So refreshingly different from the soups I normally cook.
Social Learning
The buttered bread isn’t necessary, but it gives the soup a hominess that just can’t be beat, AND it will stretch the servings out well beyond eight. Choose a bread with a dense, chewy crust that will hold up to dunks into the broth.
Piercing the sausages will help keep the soup a bit leaner. If you want, you could strain the liquid and run it through a fat separator at the end of Step 2. I don’t find this necessary, but I can imagine that some might.
If you buy pre-packaged kale, check the price-per-ounce comparison. I found pre-stemmed, roughly chopped kale for a mere fraction of the unit price of a package of lovely-looking, organic, baby kale.
The Backstory
Wintery chills may be behind us now where I live, but God only knows. In the northern Midwest, no one is safe from snow flurries until after Memorial Day. But I’ve been wearing shorts for my morning walks lately, and this morning, I thought the long-sleeved shirt I was wearing might’ve been too much. So, this might be the last soup I make for a while. Looks like I’m going out with a bang!
Kale Soup with Potatoes and Chorizo in an Instant Pot
Credit for images on this page: Make It Like a Man! unless otherwise credited. This content was not solicited by anyone, nor was it written in exchange for anything. References: Mom’s Dinner, NYT, Recipe Runner, Sip & Feast. Thank you, Kesor. Make It Like a Man! is ranked by Feedspot as #15 in the Top 30 Men’s Cooking Blogs.
Keep up with us on Bloglovin’
Le tue zuppe sono antastiche, proverò anche questa!!!
Thank you!
I’ve never met a sausage I didn’t like. This sounds yummy!
Me too! Thanks!
I often learn something from your posts. I didn’t know what a “fond” was. Research via google taught me. I can hardly believe I hadn’t come across that word before reading your latest article.
Oh, what do you know!
Love chorizo! This looks very comforting and moreish.
Thanks, Angie!
Sounds delicious. I am bookmarking it for the fall. We are through with soup until cool weather again. It is already in the 90’s here.
Wow! The 90s! Have a great summer!
Looks like a good hearty soup. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome!
C’est une belle association avec le kale et le chorizo
J’aime beaucoup
Thank you, Delphine!
Your soup sounds like a flavor explosion! I love the contrast you describe between the light, vegetable-soup vibe and the meaty, hearty punch of the chorizo.
Thanks! I will look forward to making this soup again on the other side of summer.
You make anything with chorizo and I’m all over it! Did you use Mexican or Spanish chorizo? Great tip about the pricing re weight! In Spain, I bought pre washed lettucey things for a mere 0.57€! Enough for 2 as a main salad or 4 as a side.
We have finally passed that weather hurdle, but I suspect we’re not free and clear until Victoria Day (coinciding with Memorial Day) so I generally don’t do my garden until that long weekend to be sure! And I don’t take soup off the menu either.
I used Mexican chorizo. It took me forever to find a grocery that stocks a really good one, but I finally did. Regarding the greens, it used to be that you could find stuff that seemed straight from the farm, but any more, all I find is prepackaged stuff. It’s prewashed, which is nice, but it also seems really pricy.
Such a hearty and wonderful soup. I’ll raise a glass to warmer weather for you if you raise one for cooler weather for us!
Sounds like a great idea!
¡¡Hola Jeff!! Aquí en España también estamos dejando la primavera atrás y en pocas semanas ya tendremos el calor del verano y que últimamente vienen mucho más fuertes. Yo todavía sigo con platos de cuchara, pero no tardaré en cambiar el menú a comidas más frescas.
Has usado chorizo para tu receta y picante, aquí los hay de todo tipo y no todos me gustan, influye mucho de una marca o de una carnicería a otra, pero le da un punto muy bueno a las comidas. Tú le has puesto col rizada que desengrasa este tipo de recetas para hacerlas más digeribles, es un plato bien equilibrado y perfecto para los días menos calurosos. Una receta estupenda. Besitos.
I’ve never been to Spain, but I hope to some day. And when I do, I will definitely sample the chorizo! When the time comes, I’ll have to rely on you to point me in the right direction!
Hey there’s always room for a good soup! You make a really good recommendation about piercing the sausages and then straining off any additional fat. Great way to get the flavor in the soup without too many added calories. Sounds delicious, Jeff!
Thanks, David!