By Janine Meyer

This recipe is vegan friendly, but it’s also delicious with sausage added.

1 onion, diced                                                   2-3 celery ribs, diced

2-3 medium carrots, diced                                2-3 cloves garlic, minced

3-4 medium potatoes, cubed                             1-2 TBSP olive oil

1 Bay Leaf, broken into pieces                          1 Quart Veggie Stock (maybe more)

salt and fresh black pepper to taste                   1 tsp fresh thyme

1 TBSP fresh parsley                                       ½ bunch kale, de-stemmed and chopped

In a medium soup pot heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onions, garlic, celery, and carrots.  Sauté 3-5 minutes, until the onions are transparent and the carrots just begin to get tender.   Add the potatoes, bay leaf, and thyme, sauté one minute more.  Add the stock, simmer for 10 –20 minutes (the amount of time needed for simmering depends on how big you’ve cubed your potatoes.  Check the potatoes, you don’t want them to be mushy).  Once potatoes are done, you have a choice.  You can either blend the soup in a blender or food processor for a smooth and creamy texture, or leave everything whole.  Both ways are fun, (I suggest not blending if you’re adding sausage) then add the kale, salt and pepper to taste and the parsley.  Turn the heat off and let the soup sit for 5 minutes before serving.