Potato and Kale Chowder

Potato and Kale Chowder is delicious wintertime comfort food. This big pot of chowder is loaded with two kinds of potatoes, cauliflower, carrots and Tuscan kale in a creamy, flavorful broth.

📝 Ingredients

• 3 cups cauliflower florets (about half a small head)
• 2 quarts vegetable stock, divided
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (If omitting the pancetta, increase oil to 4 tablespoons)
• 1 cup pancetta, diced small, optional
• 2 1/2 cups sweet onion, diced into large chunks
• 2 1/2 cups peeled carrots cut into large chunks
• 1 1/2 cups celery cut into large pieces
• 2 pounds skin-on little yellow potatoes cut in half
• 1 large sweet potato peeled and cut into bite sized pieces (about 3-4 cups)
• 1 tablespoon fresh garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (depending on how salty the vegetable stock is)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
• Two bay leaves
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 6 cups of packed, rinsed and coarsely chopped Tuscan kale leaves
• 1 cup milk or half & half
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Place the cauliflower and one quart of the stock in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook until very tender. Remove from heat and let sit on the back of your stove. You will puree this later to use as a thickener.
2. 2In a large soup pot or heavy bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat, add olive oil and pancetta and cook until browned and slightly crisp.
3. 3If omitting the pancetta, start here with four tablespoons of olive oil.
4. 4Once crisp, add onion, carrots, celery, yellow potatoes and sweet potato. Increase to medium high and cook for ten minutes stirring often.
5. 5Add garlic, salt, pepper, pepper flakes, mint, thyme and the two bay leaves and cook for two minutes, stirring often.
6. 6Add the white wine and increase heat to high and cook and stir to evaporate the wine.
7. 7Using a strainer, drain the cauliflower over the pot and let the liquid go into the soup pot but not the cauliflower. Place the cauliflower back into the sauce pan for now.
8. 8Add the second quart of stock to the pot along with the kale and bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 5-10 more minutes.
9. 9While the soup is simmering, add the milk and butter to the sauce pan with the cooked cauliflower and heat just to hot. Use an immersion blender or a table top blender and puree until smooth and creamy. If going dairy free, omit the milk and butter and add some stock to puree with the cauliflower. You could also substitute the milk with coconut milk.
10. 10After the soup is done, remove and discard the bay leaves, then add the puree and the parsley.
11. 11Stir and serve.