Tuscan Potato Soup

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. Italian sausage, mild or spicy
5 PEI russet or white potatoes, peeled and cubed
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
4 cups chopped kale, washed
1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes
1/2 cup heavy cream
Sea salt
Black pepper

Directions:

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the half of the olive oil on medium-high heat.
Remove sausage from it’s casing, add to the the pot, and cook for 5-7 minutes until browned and cooked through. Once cooked, remove sausage from the pot and set aside.
Add remaining olive oil, onions and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes until tender. Add the chilli flakes, a pinch of salt, and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add broth and, using a wooden spoon, scrape up any pits stuck to the bottom of the pot, then add potatoes and stir to combine. Simmer on low-medium heat for 20-25 minutes until potatoes are tender and can be pierced with a fork.
Once potatoes are cooked, remove roughly 1/3 of the potato / broth mixture from the pot, add to a blender and purée until smooth, and then return to the pot. (This is done to help provide a velvety texture to the soup while ensuring it will has some hearty potato chunks. Alternatively, you could use an immersion blender and blitz if for a 10-15 seconds to break up some, but not all, of the potatoes.)
Return cooked sausage to the pot simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
Once the soup has cooked, add kale and heavy cream, stir to combine, and cook for a final 5 minutes until kale has wilted and is bright green in colour. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
The soup can be served immediately, stored in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.I await your comments! Enjoy!