Baseball Soup aka Kale Soup

As soon as it gets cold around here, I want to make my grandmother's portuguese kale soup. We call it Baseball Soup, but I have no idea why! The problem is that the first time I want to make it, I have to hunt down the tattered piece of notebook paper it's scribbled on and it's usually where I left it 6 months prior. So, here it is, copied exactly as I found it in an email from my Mom, who copied it right off of the recipe card.

First, get a BIG pot to put everything in. It will shrink down after a while.

PORTUGUESE KALE SOUP

2 LARGE CANS COLLEGE INN CHICKEN BROTH

3 SMALL CANS COLLEGE INN BEEF BROTH

1 CAN 14. OZ STEWED TOMATOES

2 CANS PEA SOUP

2 CUPS CHOPPED KALE (1 PKG ABOUT 2 LBS) OR 2 PKGS FROZEN KALE CHOPPED

1 CUP CHOPPED CABBAGE (1/2 HEAD)

1 LARGE ONION DICED

3 STICKS CELERY CHOPPED

1 TSP BLACK PEPPER                                  1 TSP GARLIC SALT

1/2 TSP RED PEPPER FLAKES (OPTIONAL)   COUPLE SHAKES SALT

ADD AFTER ALL ABOVE HAS BOILED AT LEAST 1 HOUR

2 PACKAGES CHOURICO - PRICK SKIN AND PARBOIL 15 MINUTES.  WHEN COOL SLICE INTO SMALL PIECES

2 CANS BEANS (FAVA/CHICK) WHICKEVER YOU LIKE

6 RED POTATOES CHOPPED IN LARGE PIECES

DIRECTIONS:  

BOIL ALL INGREDIENTS ABOUT 1 HOUR - ADD CHOURICO, BEANS AND POTATOES AND BOIL AT LEAST ANOTHER 1/2 HOUR.

Notes: 

This is may be a bit confusing? Boil all of the first group for an hour. While you're doing that, you can parboil the chourico and cut it up. Then you can add the beans, potato and sausage for an additional 30 min. 

I use way more fresh kale, probably like 8-10 cups, or two bundles/bunches.

If you can't find chourizo, linguica is pretty close.

In an attempt to keep the sodium down, I use low sodium broth and salt free beans and canned tomatoes.

The canned pea soup is the condensed kind (but add it straight to the pot without adding water). I stopped using it for two reasons. First, it became impossible to find for a while. Second, it's really high in sodium. I usually buy dried split peas and simmer them forever until I can mash them into a paste, or if I'm feeling less patient, I put a bag of frozen peas into a little of the broth and mash them up once thawed. 

Feel free to adapt ingredients for your preference or dietary needs. It could easily be made vegetarian by using vegetable broth and just beans.

Lastly, my grandmother was famous for leaving ingredients out. I'm pretty sure adding some Old Bay seasoning is the solution for what I felt was missing. Do this at the very end so you don't over season.

Enjoy!