"Caldo Verde"

Adapted from John Villa/Irene Sax, serves 4 to 6
Date made 3/3/2012

1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 large turnips, peeled and chopped
1/2 lb kale, julienned
1 c. vegetable broth
water
salt and pepper, to taste

In medium pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add onions and cook until they are tender and golden brown.  Add garlic, and cook for a 2 minutes more.
Add turnips and vegetable broth and enough water to cover the vegetables.  Bring the liquid to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer.
Cover and cook until the turnips are tender, about 15 minutes.
When the soup is cool enough to handle, puree it in a food processor or blender, and return to the pot.  Bring the soup back to a boil and add the kale.
Simmer for a few minutes until the kale is tender.  Season with salt and pepper and serve.


This recipe was suggested for this past week's Hollygrove box, and I wanted to save the potatoes for a another dish, so I figured I'd replace them with turnips.  It's still a root vegetable, it has a similar texture as the potato, and it's a low-carb alternative for anyone who is concerned about any of that.  Plus, it was included in this week's box, as well.  I excluded the chorizo since I'm going veg for Lent this year, hence the quotation marks.  However, for a vegetarian alternative, I think it was a pretty tasty soup!