white bean & kale soup

a few weeks ago, the geek and i visited the biltmore estate in asheville, north carolina. mid-january is not a busy time there, so it wasn't too crowded and lines were almost non-existent. by lunch time, we had toured the house and parts of the frozen garden. we were starving and freezing, so we headed over to the stable cafe to eat and defrost. when i ordered their white bean and kale soup, i wasn't sure what to expect. i was cold, it sounded warm, and i just hoped it would taste good too. 

it did taste good.

it also tasted very familiar. i had expected to try something new, something i hoped i would like. i did indeed like it; it tasted just like a soup my mom makes, a soup a lot of moms, dads, hungry people and restaurants in hawaii make. we call it portuguese bean soup. instead of white beans and kale it has kidney beans and cabbage. it also has portuguese sausage and elbow macaroni, but the shreds of pork and slightly salty, super delicious tomato broth are the same. 
last week we enjoyed a few spring-like days, but now the wintry weather has returned. the heater's back on and there times when the geek and i decide that it's too cold/we're too lazy to venture out of the house unnecessarily. we're like a pair of hibernating bears. except, we're not sleeping and we still need to eat. maybe that makes us more like anti-social bears? i digress. it's the perfect time for a warm and comforting bowl of soup...and the nostalgia factor with this one makes it all the more comforting for me.

adapted from my mom's recipe for portuguese bean soup and inspired by the stable cafe.

equipment:
large stockpot or dutch oven with a tight fitting lid

ingredients:
1 T oil (i used extra-virgin olive oil, but you could use canola, vegetable, corn, etc.)
1 large or 2 small smoked pork shanks or ham hocks (all my grocery store had was a smoked pork shoulder picnic. i bought the smallest one- 4lbs)
8 c water
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatos (with liquid)
1 t boullion (i used beef, but chicken or vegetable would work too)
1 t paprika
2 bay leaves
1/4 t ground pepper (or more to taste)
1 large onion, chopped
3 large carrots, chopped
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed (i used a pound of baby dutch yellow potatoes, halved or quartered depending on size, skins still on)
2 c chopped portuguese sausage or linguisa
1 (19oz) can cannellini beans (or white kidney beans), rinsed and drained
1 c uncooked orzo
1 bunch kale, stems removed and chopped or torn (about 5-6 stems, if you're buying it loose)

directions:

1. heat the oil in the stock pot or dutch oven, over medium high heat. when the oil shimmers, add the pork shanks or ham hocks and brown (about a minute on each side...it's a bit of an odd shape, so just try to get the largest areas browned. i used a spatula and a pair of tongs to flip the pork picnic. it was not an easy task. ham hocks or shanks should be easier to maneuver).
2. reduce heat to medium and carefully add 8 cups of water (to cover about half of the pork shanks/ham hocks/whatever piece you end up using). cover and bring to a gentle boil then reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 hours. after and hour or so, turn or rotate the shanks or ham hocks. if the temperature is too high (e.g. if the liquid is boiling), the ham will be tough. 
3. remove the pork/ham from the liquid and place on a cutting board to cool. do not discard the liquid it's the stock for the soup! (you probably knew that, but i thought i'd mention it just to be safe.)
4. while the ham cools, add the tomato sauce, diced tomatos, bouillon, paprika, bay leaves, and pepper to the stock. return to boil.
5. once the pork/ham is cool enough to handle, slice into bite-sized pieces. discard the bone and grizzlish parts. add the sliced meat back into the broth along with the onions, carrots and potatoes. cover and reduce heat to simmer for an hour.
6. while the soup simmers, brown the linguisa or portuguese sausage in a non-stick skillet. remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain off some of the oil. 
7. add the sausage, white beans, kale and uncooked orzo to the soup during the last 30 minutes of simmering. stir periodically.

serves 6-8. it's fantastic reheated. 

more notes:

• you can also add celery or substitute in other beans or dark leafy greens.
• if you're making the stock ahead of time, you can cool the stock to room temperature after step 3 and refrigerate the stock and meat until you're ready to use. if you refrigerate overnight, the fat will have time to congeal and you can skim it off the top and discard.
• if you prefer non-mushy pasta in your leftovers- you can cook the orzo separately and add it in as you go. same with the kale.
• if you plan to freeze portions, leave the potatoes out. they lose their taste and have a grainy texture when defrosted.
• to make portuguese bean soup, swap out the cannellini beans for a can of dark kidney beans, the kale for a small head of cabbage, and the orzo for elbow macaroni.
• this can be made in a crock-pot and next time i make it, i'll try to figure out that method.