My local organic market is abundant with gorgeous autumn veg at the moment. Kale, carrots, parsnip and kohlrabi caught my eye this week and this soup was the perfect time to use them. I’m not a big meat eater, and the amount of sausage and ham in this dish doesn’t amount to much per serving. The veg really does play a starring role.
If you would like to eliminate the meat all together, I suggest replacing it with a can of chickpeas or cannellini beans. I think these would add lovely texture. If you aren’t a fan of kale, fresh spinach leaves will work beautifully. Can’t find parsnip? No worries, use whatever veg you might like: celery, broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, courgette…. there’s lots of wiggle room here for different combinations.
This is a nourishing and delicious soup. It will fill you up, and keep you satisfied for several hours! It makes enough to serve six. Luckily, I’ll have enough for leftovers!
NOTE: If you are not using meat, use a tablespoon of coconut oil to fry the oil and garlic. As well, if you find your turkey sausage does not have much fat, coconut oil in your pan, will help move it around the pot as it’s cooking.
Ingredients
- 450 grams organic turkey sausage, squeezed out of its casing
- 80 grams prosciutto, cut into 1x1cm squares
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2-3 cloves garlic, pressed
- 2 medium carrots, chopped into bite size pieces
- 2 medium parsnips, chopped into bite size pieces
- 1 kohlrabi bulb, chopped into bitesize pieces
- 1-2 stalks of lemongrass, bruised
- 8 kaffir lime leaves
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, more if you want it spicier
- 1 litre vegetable or chicken broth
- 2 x 400ml cans of coconut milk
- 6 cups of fresh kale leaves (removed from the stem and torn into bitesize pieces
- 1/2 cup of fresh coriander leaves, chopped/li>
- a squeeze of lime when serving
Directions
- Take a large soup pot and place it over medium heat. When warm, add the sausage meat and fry until it is lightly browned. When it is cooked, use a slotted spoon to remove it from the pan and set it aside for later. Leave the fat in the pan. You’ll want this to fry the prosciutto.
- Add the sliced prosciutto, and stir this around, cooking until it just becomes crispy, when you’ll remove it from the pan and set it aside.
- Now add the onion to the remaining pork fat, and let it sauté for about 3 minutes, until it starts getting soft and slightly golden, then add the garlic, and cook for one more minute.
- Next, tip in the carrot, turnip, kohlrabi, lemongrass, and lime leaves, and add the stock and coconut milk. Stir all of this together until well combined, bring it to a boil, and turn it down to simmer for 10-12 minutes. I suggest not cooking the veg until they are too soft, ot they will break down in the soup.
- After about 12 minutes, remove the lemongrass, and add in the cooked sausage and prosciutto, along with the kale leaves and coriander. Stir all of this together so the kale begins to wilt. Bring it up to a boil again, and after one minute, turn off the heat, add the coriander, and set the pot on the back burner. You are now ready to serve it up with a splash of freshly squeezed lime juice, and more coriander for garnish.
Enjoy every bite. I bet you’ll have more than one bowl!