Arrrrrrrgh me mateys!!! I went to Disneyland last weekend with the hubby and some friends, and boy it was sooo fun! I hadn’t been there in what seems like forever, and I had a blast. What baffled me the most about this trip was how much the technological world has evolved since then. The animatronics were just fantastic; I really felt like a kid again, transported back in time.
My favorite ride of all time is, and always will be, The Pirates of the Caribbean. I love, love, LOVE pirates, and I think that ride (along with the prolific 80’s movie, The Goonies) played a large part in that, thus the reason for the TOTALLY AWESOME Pirate Mickey Ears that I couldn’t say no to!
It was a great weekend, however I ate poorly. To combat the damage that was done, I needed a healthy meal. It has been so cold out lately, which means a soup was definitely in order! Enter the Blackbeard Soup ~ MMMMmmmmmm.
Awhile back the husband took me out to lunch to Romano’s Macaroni Grill, and one of the more curious items on the menu was this blackboard soup. There was no description, which I thought was odd, but I figured I’d just ask what was in it. Turns out that the two main ingredients were sausage and kale! That was the inspiration for this whimsical creation you see before you.
And there you have it – blackboard soup and pirates, morphed into one! Not only is this soup fun, but it’s also suuuuper nutritious. Beautiful caramelized onions, perfectly browned mushrooms, and barely wilted and vibrant kale! We can’t forget the star – the SAUSAGE! You could also go the vegan direction, and sub out the sausage for some beautifully chewy wild rice and veggie stock. Either way, it’s a great warm-you-up soup for these lingering winter days. I’m going to try to enjoy them while they last!
Last, but not least… In the honor of the “beard” of our BlackBEARD Soup, I present to you Three Inches Of Blood, our METAL pairing for this dish. This bearded band of Canadian brothers instantly comes to mind when “Blackbeard” runs through my head. They have a new album coming out this March titled “Long Live Heavy Metal”. Should be a fantastic album to curl up to, next to the roaring fire with your Blackbeard Soup for the remaining days of winter. Enjoy!!
Blackbeard Soup
By
Published: March 2, 2012
A hearty, healthy soup for those cold winter nights!
Ingredients
12 oz. Cremini Mushrooms, sliced
1 Bunch of Kale, de-stemmed and roughly chopped
3 Cloves Garlic, chopped
1 Cup Onion, Chopped
2 Links Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
4 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Stock
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Water
1 Pinch Nutmeg
1 Pinch Cayenne Pepper
Instructions
In a large stock pot over medium-high heat, add about ¾ inches of water, 1 Tablespoon of olive oil, and the sausage links. Cook, turning the sausages every couple minutes, until the water has boiled out, and the casings start to brown, about 10 – 15 minutes. Cooking them in water ensures that the sausages get fully cooked, preventing burnt casings. Meanwhile, chop your veggies. When the sausages are nicely browned, remove them, and set aside to cool. Add the remaining olive oil to the same pot, reduce the heat to medium, and add the onions. Sauté for 5 minutes, and add the garlic and mushrooms. Continue sautéing the mixture for 10 minutes more, or until the onions and mushrooms are nicely browned. Meanwhile, thinly slice the cooled sausages. Season the mixture with half the salt and pepper, then add the chopped kale, folding until just wilted. Add the sliced sausage, chicken stock, and remaining spices, and bring to a boil. Serve with a fresh green salad and a hunk of crusty toasty bread.
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Total time remains 35 minutes, because you can do the preparation while the sausages cook.
Yield: 4 servings
Serving size: ~1 1/2 cups
Calories per serving: 228
Fat per serving: 12.2g
Saturated Fat per serving: .8g
Cholesterol per serving: 0mg
Sodium per serving: 916.3mg
Carbohydrates per serving: 14.9g
Fiber per serving: 1.8g
Sugars per serving: 3.2g
Protein per serving: 16.4g
Super delicious and soul warming indeed!!!
I adore your soup recipe. The fact that it has kale in it makes it more close to my heart. Thanks for this post!
Thank you for your kind words!!
Just FYI, the reason blackboard soup did not have a description is that it refers to the soup listed on their blackboard or soup often day.
Its blackBOARD soup referring to the soup special blackboard in which case the day you were there the special was sausage kale soup. 🙂