Sausage & Kale Split Pea Soup

Lime green. Mint green. Olive green. Sage green. Kale green.

Kale green? Yes, kale green. It’s a new green, in the color and the culinary sense, your body and taste buds will thank you for seeking out.

Kale is part of the cabbage family. Like most greens, it is easiest to find during the winter. Find bunches of kale, its leaves dark and tinged with purple and packed with calcium, iron, folic acid and vitamins A and C, in the produce section.

Like cabbage, kale gains sweetness while cooking. So do split peas.

This recipe’s first test was for lunch for a girlfriend and a teenage nephew helping paint the family room. (The paint color? Tundra green.)

The recipe called for lentils but without hesitation, I substituted split peas when that’s what was in the pantry. “Yum,” was our unanimous reaction. When making another batch with lentils later, was I ever surprised that the split peas were far preferable, yielding a softly sweet and creamy soup.

ALANNA's TIPS To clean kale, separate the leaves and soak for a minute or so in a sinkful of water, then rinse each leaf carefully under running water. Tear off the stems and center ribs, which are tough, then chop the leaves as fine as possible to prevent strings of kale forming as the soup cooks.

Plan to freeze leftover soup for another meal. Plastic freezer bags work great, especially if your freezer is small, and come in pint, quart and gallon sizes, one of which is likely ‘meal’ size for your own family.

Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Send a favorite winter soup recipe to e-mail.

SAUSAGE & KALE SPLIT PEA SOUP

Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Stove-top time: 90 minutes
Makes 15 cups (freezes well)

4 ounces smoked kielbasa
8 garlic cloves, minced
2 onions, chopped (about 2 cups)
2 cups dried split peas (about 12 ounces), rinsed and picked through
6 cups water
6 cups 99% fat free canned chicken broth
1 bunch kale, stems and center ribs removed, greens chopped fine (see TIPS) or fresh spinach leaves
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium high. Slice kielbasa in quarters lengthwise, then again crosswise in half-inch pieces. Drop into pot (they should sizzle) and stir lightly to spread evenly over bottom. Add garlic and onion as minced and chopped and lower heat to medium. Stirring regularly, cook until sausage is slightly crispy and onion is soft.

Add split peas, water, broth and kale. (If substituting spinach, add it five minutes before serving rather than now.)

Cover and simmer for about 90 minutes or until peas are cooked through. Stir in vinegar, salt and pepper and serve immediately.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per cup: 137Cal; 9g Protein; 3g Tot Fat; 1g Sat Fat; 21g Carb; 8g Fiber; 487mg Sodium; 5mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 2 points