Sausage & Kale Soup

Winter and soup are like peanut butter and jelly (sans the bread of course, lol) - they just go together. All that warming, bubbly goodness -- problem is soup can be a bit tricky at times when you're way of eating is low carb. So many include pastas, potatoes or beans to make them hearty. I have a few low carb soups in my regular line-up but am challenging myself to come up with a NEW soup recipe every week for the rest of winter.....so without further delay, SOUP'S ON!!

First up, Sausage & Kale Soup! Kale is that super food that found so much recent favor. Imagine my surprise when I recently peeked at what was on Food Network and I heard some silly celeb-chef declare that kale was so *yesterday*, lol -- sorry but good-for-you food is here to stay. The combination of sausage and greens in soup is as old as time -- well, at least as old as the first sausages, lol.

P.S. Mr. Dreamy declared this soup a home-run.

Sausage & Kale Soup

1 lb uncooked Mild Italian Sausage links

1/2 large onion, chopped

2 slices bacon, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 quart chicken stock

2 c diced turnips

2 c finely chopped fresh kale

1/2 c heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 325°F. Place the sausages in a ungreased baking pan, piercing casings. Bake 15-20 minutes or until fully cooked. Drain; set aside to cool. Meanwhile, in a stockpot, saute onion and bacon 3 minutes or until onion is tender. Add garlic; saute 1 minute. Add chicken stock and diced turnips; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 30 minutes or until turnips are tender. Cut sausages in half lengthwise, then into 1/2-inch slices. Add kale, cream and sausage to soup; heat through (do not boil). Add salt and pepper to taste. Yield: 6 servings. Each serving contains 307 calories, 7.97g carbs, 1.3g fiber = 6.67g net carbs.

.