Meaty Coconut Kale Soup

Our daughter loves soup. Particularly pureed soups. But today I decided to take a chance on a chunky, meaty soup with chopped kale.

I was fairly certain that she would spit out the kale. Even chopped relatively small, it has a particular texture that doesn't fare well with 18 month old children. The other thing I wasn't sure about was the ground meat in the soup. Our daughter likes meat, but I wasn't sure she would like having to chew a lot while eating the soup. Lastly, the red pepper flakes. Our daughter loves food with good flavour, and I wanted to add enough to bring good depth of flavour without actually making the soup spicy. (If it was just me eating it however, I would have added more).

On the other hand, I knew the chunks of potato would be a hit. And the rich and creamy coconut milk I figured would be a no brainer.

Given all of this though, I really wasn't sure how this soup would be received in our household. So I made the soup, crossed my fingers, and hoped for the best.

And it was a success! Surprisingly, our daughter, my husband, and our discerning family loved the soup! So much so that they suggested I write down what I put in it so that I could make it again. Yay! Love it when meals are interesting and enjoyed.

Meaty Coconut Kale Soup
Makes a large pot (serves 4-6 people)

250 grams Extra Lean Ground Beef

250 grams Lean Ground Pork

1 Large Sweet Onion, diced

4 cloves Garlic, minced

1/2 tsp - 1 1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

5 large Potatoes, peeled and diced

1 litre Chicken Broth

2 cans Coconut Milk

4 cups Kale, chopped

In a large pot over medium high heat, cook the meat until no longer pink. Add onions, garlic and red pepper and cook until the onions just start to soften, about 5 minutes. 

Add the potatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, then cover and cook for about 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Add the coconut milk and kale. Increase the heat, bring to a boil, reduce, cover and cook for another 10 minutes.

Serve with some crusty bread.