The final week of my farm share included a huge bunch of curly kale. It was too big to fit into my fridge, and the weather was too cold for kale salad. I had a lot of mushrooms and some cooked butternut squash in my fridge, so I put them together into soup.

I’m not a big fan of kale, so I wasn’t expecting much, but the combination worked. Kale and mushrooms have distinct flavors that balance this soup, neither one pushing the other out of the way. And butternut squash recedes into the background, thickening the soup and adding texture without an aggressive flavor.

I seasoned the soup with salt, pepper and sage, one of my favorite fall seasonings. I used powdered sage, but fresh sage would be better. This simple soup was a hit with my husband, who is not crazy about eating greens, so I thought that was a victory. My teenager refused to try it, his loss, meaning more soup for my husband and me.

I used two blenders to make this soup. First, I used a regular blender to puree the fresh kale and cooked butternut squash with vegetable broth. I used an immersion blender to purée the cooked soup, blending the sautéed mushrooms into the kale purée. An immersion blender makes soup making easier because you blend the soup right in the pan instead of transferring it back and forth to a regular blender.

Springhouse Turtle

Print Recipe

Mushroom Kale Soup

Serves: 6-8

Prep Time: 25 minutes – Cooking Time: 35 minutes – Total Time: 1 hour

Mushrooms, kale and butternut squash combine with a touch of sage to make a rich, filling fall soup.

Ingredients

• 1 large bunch curly kale, washed, stems removed
• 2 cups cooked butternut squash
• 1 quart vegetable broth, divided
• 1 1/2 pounds white or brown mushrooms, washed and sliced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon powdered sage (or 1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves, minced)
• Dairy-free sour cream (optional)

Instructions

1

Put the kale, butternut squash and 2 cups vegetable broth into a blender, and blend until smooth.

2

In a large skillet or saucepan with a lid, sauté the onion over medium heat until translucent.

3

Dust with half the salt and pepper.

4

Add the mushrooms, and dust with remaining salt and pepper.

5

Sauté the mushrooms until wilted.

6

Stir in the kale mixture, sage and remaining 2 cups vegetable broth.

7

Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer

8

Cook, covered, for 35 minutes.

9

Blend with an immersion blender until smooth.

10

Serve in bowls topped with a dollop of dairy-free sour cream.

Springhouse Turtle