Farmer’s Market Soup

Brown the Italian sausage, then remove from pot. Add diced onions to drippings, and saute over medium heat until soft, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add carrots and celery, and continue to saute until slightly brown. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Pour in chicken broth, and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Add chard, crushed red pepper, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes.

While simmering, add in a cup of orzo, and continue to simmer until orzo and kale are cooked through and tender. Add the browned sausage back in, and cook for 5 more minutes until flavors are melded. Serve with crusty bread and butter!

To speed up preparation, I don’t cut all the veggies in advance. While browning the sausage, I cut the onions, carrots, and celery. And I just use my garlic press to squeeze garlic right into the pot. Also, an easy thing to do with kale is, after you buy it, wash it, chop it up, and put it in a Ziploc bag.