Paired with a Scotch Ale/Wee Heavy
One thing that I have found very difficult to adapt to ever since I started working from home is making sure to eat during the day. I know this sounds completely off the wall, but I’m completely serious. When you go off to work every day, there is a schedule to keep to. You get to work at say 8-9 am. You have lunch at say 12-1 pm. You work until 4-5 and then you go home. Pretty simple concept right? Well, working from home caught me by surprise. I would seriously go for 8 hours straight sitting in my home office, eating absolutely nothing. This became a problem. I became cranky, like really cranky. It wasn’t until early last year that I started keeping to a strict schedule. Starting work by 9 am, taking breaks throughout the day, taking a half hour for lunch, and stepping out of my office by 6 pm. I forced myself to step away from work completely at night, and you guys, I have never looked back.
I think it is so important to keep yourself on track, whether it is food-related or not, and lunch is just as important as every other meal of the day. It’s a time of day to take for yourself. Regroup. You get it. Right? One mistake I always made when working a 9 to 5er was going out for lunch. Seriously, I spent so much money on lunch and it was absolutely ridiculous. It is so simple to make yourself a good and hearty lunch, that you can look forward to. This is where this roasted garlic and potato soup steps in.
This soup is comfort in a bowl, you guys, but it doesn’t lack in nutrition. It’s the perfect soup to make over the weekend, refrigerate and portion out for the week ahead. It doesn’t take very much work or time and it will seriously fill you up when you most need it: at lunchtime. While sausage, kale and garlic play a very important role in this super delicious soup, the potato is by far the star of the show.
Whether it’s russet, Yukon gold, or red, Zach and I eat potatoes ALL-THE-TIME. They are such a versatile vegetable that can be used in so many different ways. In the case for this soup, the potato acts two ways. It adds a certain heartiness from the chunks of potato, but it also adds a certain amount of creaminess. The pureed potato in this soup adds a creaminess that you would otherwise get from 2-3 cups of heavy cream. It also is a natural thickener, which is a double bonus in my book!
So instead of heading out to lunch everyday, make it a New Year’s resolution and try to start bringing your lunch instead. It’s so much better (and cheaper) for you! I hope you guys enjoy this roasted garlic and potato soup. It’s one of those soups that Zach and I make multiple times of year!
Yields 12
15 minPrep Time
1 hr, 30 Cook Time
1 hr, 45 Total Time
Save Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 head of garlic
- 1 pound loose sweet Italian sausage
- 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 stalks of celery, diced
- 6 cups chicken broth or stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
- salt and black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup half and half, heavy cream, milk, or other milk alternative
- 3 cups chopped kale
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Chop the bottom off of the head of garlic so that the cloves are exposed. Place the garlic (exposed side-up) into a mold of a regular-sized muffin tin. Cover loosely with foil and place it in the oven. Roast the garlic for about 45 minutes or until fragrant and browned slightly. Remove from oven and let cool. Once cool enough to handle, release the cloves from the head by pressing firmly on the top. Set aside.
- In a large pot or dutch oven, add the sausage. Heat over medium heat and cook until browned and cooked through. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate, leaving the fat behind. Add the oil to the pan only if you find there is not enough fat left over from the sausage. Add the onion, carrots and celery. Cook until the veggies are tender, about 7-8 minutes. Pour in the chicken broth and add the cubed potatoes. Season generously with salt, black pepper and Italian seasoning. Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce to a heavy simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Add roasted garlic cloves to the pot. Turn the heat off and discard the bay leaf. With your immersion blender (alternatively you may use a regular blender - see below), blend the soup until about half of the soup is pureed. You will still want some larger chunks of potato and veggies remaining. Turn the heat back on to medium and add the already-cooked sausage, half and half (or substitute) and the kale. Cook until the kale is wilted substantially, about 6 minutes. Adjust the seasoning to taste and remove from heat.
- Serve the soup immediately garnished with fresh parsley. The soup is best served next day or throughout the week for a quick lunch!
