A Tribute to Bob's Red Mill

For those of you who have not been there before, I strongly suggest that you take a trip to your nearest Ocean State Job Lot as soon as possible. Well, maybe don't take a trip expressly with Ocean State as your destination, but certainly if you drive by one, make the point to stop in for a visit. Really I only go there for their eclectic food section. They seem to have foods of all nationalities, and while I probably wouldn't venture to buy something that has a delicate shelf life, they certainly offer some very good steals and finds. On my most recent trip I took the time to peruse the vast selection of Bob's Red Mill products that lined half the shelves of one aisle. The company offers practically every type of whole grain that could possibly exist, and then some with their wide variety of mixes. I chose a package of their vegi soup mix, consisting of a tempting combination of green and yellow split peas, barley, lentils, and flavors of alphabet pasta bits made from wheat flour, spinach, and tomato.

And so it was, after a walk and a romp on this snowy afternoon with a certain favorite companion of mine, that I decided tonight would present the perfect opportunity for a soup. As is typical of winter, our refrigerator has been taken over by several varieties of pork products as well as some very hearty vegetables. I pulled out some kale and a piece of Kielbasa, as well as the 3 or so cups of veal stock I had previously frozen. I then took out my soup mix, which recommends that you allow 1 part of the mix per 4 parts of liquid, and fired away. I served the soup with some artisan sourdough bread, which slathered with some garlic butter and toasted up, but any hearty bread would work nicely. If you don't have access to Bob's Red Mill Products you could easily make your own soup mix with any variety of the same ingredients, or even try some of your own.

Kale, Kielbasa, and Bob's Red Mill Vegi Soup Mix Soup

Ingredients

6 cups stock, water, bouillon, etc...

1.5 cups Bob's Red Mill Vegi Soup Mix

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

1 onion, halved and finely sliced

1 large bunch of kale, washed and torn from tough stems

1 good-sized piece of Polish kielbasa, cut into bite-sized pieces

1tblsp neutral oil

1) Bring whatever liquid you are using to a boil in a heavy-bottomed pot, and add the soup mix. Cover, and allow the mix to simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. You may add more liquid as you go depending on how much you lose to evaporation

2) Meanwhile heat the oil in a large frying pan and saute the kielbasa in a frying pan for 5 minutes. Add the finely sliced onion and saute gently, stirring frequently, until the onions become slightly caramelized. Add the garlic and just after, the kale. Allow the kale to wilt, stirring so that it becomes evenly cooked.

3) When the kale is cooked to your liking - I like it with just a little bite still - reduce the heat on your soup base to low, and add in the contents of the frying pan. Using a large spoon comine all the ingredients together and your soup/stew is ready to go!

A truly winter-warming meal