Instructions: *NOTE: white and light green part only, washed and thinly sliced

**NOTE: cut into 3/4" cubes (about 4 C)

Heat oil and butter in a heavy-bottomed 7 qt soup pot over med heat. Saute onions and leeks for 10 - 15 min, until golden, soft, and sweet.

Add the water, potatoes, parsley, whole carrots, whole celery stalks, bay leaves, salt, pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to med low, cover and simmer for 45 min.

While soup is cooking, wash kale and strip the leaves off the stalks. Discard stalks and chop leaves into bite-sized pieces. Bring 2 C water to a boil in a 10 - 12" skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Add the kale and cook, covered, over high heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, approx 5 min. Remove and drain, saving the cooking water to drink.

Remove the carrot and celery pieces and bay leaves from the soup. Puree half the soup in a food processor or blender. Return blended portion back to the pot, stir in cooked kale, and heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve hot.

This was very good. Test for you by Reggie & Jeff Dwork (reggie@reggie.com)

Kale Soup Variation:
Add 1 C fresh corn kernels to soup when you add cooked kale. Simmer for 5 min.

Add 1 C cooked white beans or kidney beans when kale is added.

Add cooked, sliced sausage to this soup - as the Portuguese do in a dish called Caldo Verde.

Add all three of the above for a hearty dinner meal.

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