Creamy Sausage and Kale Soup. A dairy free meal in a bowl loaded with kale, carrots, sausage and coconut milk that tastes nothing like coconut!
If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you may remember a couple of months ago I was lucky enough to head down to Portland, Oregon for a long weekend with Pacific Foods.
If you aren’t familiar with Pacific Foods, they make everything from broths, stocks and my new favorite product – Organic Bone Broth to soups and non-dairy milks with a lot in between. They are based in Oregon and I have to admit that while I used a fair amount of their products prior to my trip, what I learned during the weekend I spent with them blew me away.
I think it is rare to say this but Pacific Foods truly doesn’t give themselves enough credit. They are doing good work. In an environment riddled with companies overly focused on marketing and not on ethics and values, it was so refreshing to learn that Pacific Foods not only talks the talk, but walks the walk.
Also, let’s be clear – they are not paying me to say this – I was seriously super impressed with how this family-owned company is doing business.
For me it was the little things that made the most difference. How much Pacific Foods cares about the quality of its ingredients, how much they will NOT compromise on quality. So much so that they started their own organic dairy farm so that they could control the source of milk products (and the treatment of the animals) for their soups and other products that have milk or cream added.
Things like caring about organics and NON-GMO ingredients, being committed to not only controlling their supply chain but constantly improving it. This is a big deal you guys. So many (too many actually!) companies drive their supply chain based on cost first. And, you know what that means. Low cost tends to equal lower quality.
Like I said, when I went down there, I was already an occasional customer but truth be told, I still thought of them as a packaged foods company and in our house, we really try to limit our intake of packaged foods. After visiting and learning first-hand how much care is put into sourcing high-quality, GMO-Free, mostly organic ingredients, I have no hesitation in stocking my pantry with Pacific products. When it comes to prepared food, I am not sure if there is much higher quality out there.
As soon as I got back, I started experimenting with one of their newest products – Organic Chicken Bone Broth. You know I like to make at least one big pot of soup per week in the cooler months and even though I try to keep my freezer stocked with a variety of my homemade broths (Chicken, Beef, Shrimp, Flu Fighter Stock), it’s sometimes just hard to keep up.
Having a high-quality product that I can rely on as a base for my soups is a big deal and I am loving the Organic Bone Broth. There are only 5 ingredients – Water, Organic Chicken, Organic Onion, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar and Organic Rosemary Extract and it’s sodium free so it makes a very versatile base for a variety of different soups, stews and chili’s.
A huge thank you to Pacific Foods for a wonderful and very informative weekend and for sending me a ton of Organic Bone Broth to play around with. I have made many soups with it that I can’t wait to share – this is the first one I’ve had time to re-make and photography for everyone.
Now for the recipe – this Creamy Sausage and Kale Soup is Dairy Free, Gluten Free and Paleo. Loaded with kale, carrots and chunks of spicy sausage, it is a meal in a bowl. While there is coconut milk, there is no taste anywhere of coconut milk. It’s just lusciously creamy and rich. Plus, it freezes great!
NOTES:
- I used Pacific Foods Organic Chicken Bone Broth which is very low in sodium. If you use a homemade stock or other prepared broth, please adjust the salt accordingly. Always start with less as it’s easy to keep adding a bit more but very hard to fix the soup if it’s too salty!
- When I talk about stemming the Kale, I am referring to pulling the leaves off the stems. This is the quickest method, don’t waste time using a knife to cut the leaves off or pulling off one by one.
- DISCLOSURE: All elements of my trip were hosted and arranged by Pacific Foods.
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!
Creamy Sausage and Kale Soup. A dairy free meal in a bowl loaded with kale, carrots, sausage and coconut milk that tastes nothing like coconut!
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 large yellow onion finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt see NOTES
- 3/4 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 3/4 pound uncooked Hot Italian Chicken Sausage or Pork, crumbled
- 3 medium carrots peeled and cut into 1/8" rounds
- 2 medium stalks celery cut into 1/8" half-moons
- 8 cups chicken broth or stock see NOTES
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1 head Lacinato Kale stems removed, cleaned and cut into bite sized pieces
- 13.5 ounce can full-fat coconut milk
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Finely chop garlic and onion. Or use the food processor to save time! Peel carrots and cut into 1/8" rounds. Cut celery into 1/8" half-moons.
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Remove sausage from casings (if in casings). Measure spices. Clean kale, remove stems and chop into bite sized pieces.
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Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Once hot, add oil then chopped garlic, onion and spices (salt, fennel, black pepper, red pepper). Cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and spices are fragrant.
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Add crumbled sausage and use a wooden spoon or spatula to break up even further into bite sized pieces. Cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the pink is gone.
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Add carrots and celery. Sauté 2 to 3 minutes.
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Next, add broth and bay leaf. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil.
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Once boiling, add kale, cover and immediately lower heat to a simmer. Continue cooking for 8 to 10 minutes or until kale is softened.
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Remove from heat and discard bay leaf. Slowly stir in coconut milk until fully dissolved. Serve warm and Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? Tag @EverydayMaven on Instagram with the hashtag #EveryDayMaven and please give a star rating below.
Blackie says
I am going to try this recipe today!
Lori says
This soup is amazing! Coconut milk is my new best friend.
EverydayMaven says
So glad you love it Lori!
Ashley says
First time visitor to your site, and actually, the first time I’ve commented on a blog… But I had to say, I LOVE this recipe, and I LOVE Pacific Foods. I live in Portland and didn’t realize they were located here in Oregon, so more reason for me to head out to the store and buy some of their stock. Thank you!
EverydayMaven says
Hi Ashley! Thanks so much and welcome 🙂
Jen says
I’m AIP so eliminated the spices and used this recipe for sausage: http://hewontknowitspaleo.com/recipe-items/nightshade-free-talian-sausage/
It turned out delicious! Definitely making more for the freezer next time. Thanks!
EverydayMaven says
Awesome Jen!
Heidi says
Does the coconut milk have a coconut flavor? I don’t like coconut.
EverydayMaven says
I don’t think you can taste coconut at all in this dish!
Stacy says
This is DELICIOUS!! Thank you for sharing the recipe! I will definitely look into the pacific brand as well.
EverydayMaven says
You’re welcome Stacy! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know you liked it 🙂
EverydayMaven says
You’re welcome Stacy! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know you liked it 🙂
Scott says
Excellent, excellent, excellent. Great flavors, I could hardly stop eating it! I wasn’t sure how much 1 head of the kale was (I bought it by the bunch) so I ball parked it from your photo of them chopped up. Turns out it didn’t matter, I added more anyway.
EverydayMaven says
Thanks so much Scott! This is our new favorite soup as well and I am with you – the more Kale, the better 😉
Rachel (Rachel's Kitchen NZ) says
Oh, I do love the sound of this soup and Pacific Foods sounds like a great company.
EverydayMaven says
Thanks Rachel – I have plans to make another batch of this soup tomorrow. Can’t wait! 🙂
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
loved reading about Pacific foods. . I already buy a lot of their broths and stocks and loved reading about your trip!!! and love this soup. I’ll be living off of kale soup this winter!! glad you’re feeling better!!
EverydayMaven says
Thanks Alice! Have you tried the new bone broth yet? It’s really great!