I had previously made a really delicious balsamic pot roast with carrots and onions that everyone here loved. But, after the leftovers had been used for lunch a few days later, I was still left with a bunch of the onions. They had soaked up the balsamic flavored broth while the roast cooked in the crockpot so they were mild and sweet. The only problem was no one just eats plain leftover onions. I needed to include them in another dish if I were going to use them. A bunch of kale had been sitting in my refrigerator waiting to be used in soup. So I decided to make kale and eggs again but this time I would added the onions to the dish. It worked well and the meal was sooo good.

Kale, Balsamic Onions with Eggs

2 tablespoons olive or coconut oil

1/2 a bunch of kale, washed, thick stem removed and thinly sliced

balsamic flavored onions from previous pot roast or make your own with 1 medium onion and 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

If you already have the leftover onions then add the oil to a skillet, heat until warm, add the kale and stir to coat with oil. Saute the kale for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Place a cover over the skillet and allow the kale to steam until softened. Add in any leftover balsamic onions and heat until warmed through. Add red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste. Serve with fried eggs and a few slices of bacon.

If you don’t have left over onions then add the oil to the skillet. Add 1 medium onion that has been thinly sliced and saute until softened. Add 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, stir and saute onions until browned. Remove onions. Add more oil and the kale. Stir to coat with oil. Saute the kale for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Place a cover over the skillet and allow the kale to steam until softened. Add in any leftover balsamic onions and heat until warmed through. Add red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste. Serve with fried eggs and a few slices of bacon.

This made a great breakfast and lunch. Now I’m all out of kale and onions

     My grandmother would say that this is not “real” Portuguese kale soup because I didn’t spend half the day slowly cooking down a beef shank to make the broth for the soup. That method does produce a much richer tasting soup. But, when your short on time and still want something good to eat, this quick version works quite well.

     For those who are watching their carb count this soup can be made with or without potatoes. It does contain a can of premade baked beans so the carb count per bowlful is 16.3 and that’s without potatoes. I’ll give a nutritional breakdown both with and without potatoes after the recipe.

     In order to make kale soup a type of Portuguese sausage called Linguica is needed. You can substitute a spicer version called Chourico if desired. I’ve been told that another type of sausage called Chorizo can be used in it’s place. I’ve never tried the stuff but it’s always worth trying if that’s what is available in your area.

Quick Portuguese Kale Soup

1 bunch of fresh kale or a 16 ounce bag of frozen, chopped kale

1 lb of linguica or turkey linguica (chourico can also be substituted), sliced into rolls about 1/2 inch thick

16 ounce can of Bush’s Baked Beans with Onion

4 cups water

2 cups beef broth

1 small onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

optional: 1 large potato, peeled, quartered and cut into small pieces

If using fresh kale wash it and then remove the thick stem. Cut the kale into strips about 1/2 to 1 inch wide. Set kale aside.

In a large pot add the onion, garlic and the sliced linguica. Saute until the onions have softened a bit. Add in the water, beef broth and the can of baked beans. Add the kale to the pot and stir to moisten the kale. Cook over a medium heat until the kale has softened – about 20 to 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

If your adding a potato then add it to the pot with the kale. Continue to cook until the kale has softened.

Makes 8 or more servings

Calories: 208  / 244.3 with potato

Fat: 9.8 grams even with potato

Total Carbs: 16.3 grams / 24.4 grams with potato

Fiber: 3.3 grams / 4.3 grams with potato

Protein: 14.6 grams / 15.3 grams with potato

This post was shared on the Food Renegade’s Fight Back Friday’s.

While searching for something new to make with a bag of frozen kale I came across this blog: 365 Days of Kale. Who would have thought there was a blog devoted entirely to kale! Scrolling through the site and it’s recipes I found this one for kale that included eggs. I had just about everything on hand. To reduce the number of carbs I only used 1 large potato that had been peeled, diced and boiled until tender.

Kale and Eggs

8 ounces of frozen chopped kale, thawed

1 large potato, peeled, diced and boiled until tender

1 small onion

1 clove of garlic, minced

roasted red peppers, several pieces diced

4 eggs

chives

1 – 2 tablespoons olive oil, butter or coconut oil

salt and pepper

In a large skillet add the oil of your choice and turn the stove on to medium heat. Add the diced onion and garlic and saute. While these are cooking squeeze the kale gently to remove any excess water. Add the kale to the pan. Cook until the kale has softened a bit then add the red peppers and potatoes. Cook for several minutes until all the vegetables are warm. Make 4 small depressions in the vegetables. Crack an egg into each depression. Cover the pan and allow the steam to cook the eggs. Remove the cover, turn off the heat. Sprinkle some of the chives over the eggs and serve. Add salt and pepper to taste before eating.

If you like kale then you will enjoy this recipe. I’ve already made it a second time and added frozen zucchini that had been thawed when I added the kale to the pan. This would probably taste delicious with some linguica (Portuguese sausage) or even some bacon.

This post is being linked back to Real Food Wednesdays.