kale and apple soup

adapted from thekitchn.com

This soup provides a healthy dose of greens with a little indulgence in the form of bacon and crème frîache (if you so desire). Even the kids loved it.

serves 4
1/4 cup cubed bacon
1 large bunch kale
4 cups chicken stock, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 medium apple, cored and chopped
1/4 cup crème frîache, mascarpone cheese, sour cream or plain yogurt (The Green Barn has them all!)
freshly ground black pepper

1. Wash kale and remove bottom 1" of stem. Chop roughly into 1" pieces.

2. In a stock pot over medium heat, sautée the bacon for 1 minute. Add the kale and stir to coat with rendered fat. Add a bit of olive oil if kale sticks to pan. Cook, stirring, until kale begins to wilt. Add 2 cups chicken stock, lower heat to medium-low and cook covered, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.

3. Transfer mixture to blender. Let cool slightly then puree. (I am always nervous about having liquids explode out due to one past experience, but if you hold down the lid with a kitchen towel it should be fine). If blender is more than half full you will need to reserve some to make room for the next step.

4. In the same skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil and cook onions with salt until just barely showing color. Add chopped apples and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until apples soften and onions are translucent. Transfer mixture to blender.

5. If working in two batches (if you doubled the recipe or if you have a small blender), add half the remaining chicken stock (1 cup), cover and puree until smooth. If working in one batch, add all the remaining stock and puree until smooth. 

If soup seems too thick, add more stock or water until it reaches the desired consistency.

Garnish with a dollop of crème frîache, mascarpone cheese, sour cream or plain yogurt and a few grinds of black pepper.