Keep warm with this delicious soup (even in Canada!)

Please welcome our guest, Erika Chase, to Mystery Lovers Kitchen.

Erika is the author of the Ashton Corners Book Club mysteries from Berkley Prime Crime. In another life she was the owner of Prime Crime Mystery Bookstore. She knows her mysteries and her cold weather soups.  Take it away, Erika!

SAUSAGE AND KALE SOUP 

Thanks for having me here at Mystery Lovers Kitchen.

There’s nothing I love more on these cold winter days than homemade soup. Okay, maybe I love chocolates more but not the best choice for supper.

Last time I made this Sausage and Kale Soup, I stuck to the recipe. This time I became a bit more adventuresome…partly because I didn’t have enough kale, so added some bok choy to the pot. It doesn’t call for any seasoning but I thought I’d try using andaouille sausage to make up for that lack, rather than the turkey sausage I used last time. And, I ended up substituting black beans for the pinto, navy or kidney beans the recipe suggests, just because I like them.

The result… very tasty to my taste buds with a bit of a kick.  Hope you enjoy!

1 tbsp olive oil

½ onion

2 cloves garlic

1 package sausage

2 large white button mushrooms

2 ½ cups chicken broth

1 – 25 ounce can minced tomatoes

1 bunch fresh kale

1 – 15 ounce can beans

Brown sausage in frying pan.  Cool slightly then slice into bite-sized pieces and cut kale into 2-inch pieces (discarding tough kale stems). Dice the onion and the garlic. Chop the mushrooms.

Heat olive oil and onions in a large saucepan and cook until translucent.  Add sausage, garlic and seasoning and cook for 3-4 minutes; adding mushrooms halfway through. Pour in the chicken broth and tomatoes. Add the kale.

Bring to a gentle boil and simmer 25 minutes. Add the beans and simmer another five minutes.

 Sit back and savor! 

Read and Buried: the second Ashton Corners Book Club Mystery is now available.  Don't miss this chance to catch up with Lizzie Turner and the intrepid readers at the mystery book club!  

And find out more about this book-lovin' series over at  www.erikachase.com

It's a Tie!

Can you believe it? Our Christmas Cookie Contest resulted in a tie between Raspberry Rollups and Spicy Ginger Cookies!  Please help us select the winner in a run-off between them.  We realize that a lot of people are on vacation, traveling, and well, not reading their regular blogs right now, so we're giving you until January 5th to vote!

I thought today might be a good time to share my new cover.  The Diva Digs Up the Dirt won't be released until June 5th, but the cover is here!  Oddly enough, I wrote about a calico cat in the story.  Little did I know at the time that a calico kitten would join my household! 

After all those holiday feasts, we're ready for something a little bit lighter around here.  Not too light, after all, we're still in festive mode.  But this soup was exactly what we needed.  It's a perfect busy day recipe.  Serve with some freshly baked bread and it's a snuggle by the fire on a cold night meal.

The key here is the sausage.  It doesn't cook long so the flavor depends a lot on the sausage.  Make sure it's one that you like!  I used spicy turkey sausage, but it would be great with chicken or pork sausage, or even your favorite wieners!

Sausage and Kale Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 package sausage
1 small package mushrooms (cremini, white, or shitaki)
2 1/2 - 3 cups chicken broth
1-14.5 ounce can minced tomatoes
1 bunch fresh kale
1-15 ounce can beans (navy, kidney, or pinto)


Slice sausage into bite-sized pieces and kale into two-inch (roughly) pieces (discard any tough kale stems).  Dice the onion and the garlic.  Heat olive oil and onions and cook until translucent.  Add sausage and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes.  Pour in the chicken broth and tomatoes, and add the kale.  Bring to a gentle boil and simmer 25 minutes.  Add the beans and simmer another five minutes.

ENJOY!