Green Apple and Kale "Detox Soup"

Man oh man, do I love to eat. However, during the Holidays it can feel as though friends, family and coworkers are all pretty much trying to much force-feed each other at every turn--usually foods loaded with butter, chocolate, sugar or gravy. To make matters worse, the festive cocktails which serve as catalyst for merriment during jolly seasonal gatherings also serve to pack unwanted pounds and trigger lingering hangovers--leaving us ready to detox and willing to finally put an end to the temporary nutritional insanity that invariably leaves us feeling poofy, lethargic and irritable by the time January 2nd comes around. 

However, it can be difficult to dive "cold turkey" into a healthier lifestyle after weeks of sustained and reckless indulgence; our bodies have grown (quite literally) addicted to all the sugary and fatty foods of the holiday season. To think that a fresh garden salad with a little extra dressing on top will satisfy your raging rehab-worthy fat/sugar addiction is to overestimate your will power. Eat that salad for dinner tonight and chances are you'll find yourself in front of the fridge by midnight, wearing a bathrobe covered in Ritz cracker particles, devouring the congealed remains of that nasty Port wine processed cheese ball that someone left behind on New Year's Eve. A shameful way to start the year, wouldn't you say?

 

That's why this soup is pure genius.  Kale and green apple are the main ingredients here, and they're packed with the fiber, vitamins and overall veggie goodness our bodies crave after coming down from gravy and Christmas cookie overdoses. Using only the fat rendered by a small amount of lean bacon for flavoring, this soup is also fairly low in fat...yet behaves on the plate as if it were a cream-based soup (even though it's not!). The discernible and savory bacon flavor, combined with the semi-bitter kale and the apple's mild sweetness make it such a hearty yet beautifully balanced dish--perfect for January's cold weather. Garnish it with paper-thin slivers of shaved Parmesan and fresh cracked pepper and you've got yourself a robust meal that is deceptively low in fat and packed with lots of good-for-you stuff. 

I guarantee you will not believe your taste buds when you try it. 

Plus it's so easy you can make it in 20 minutes or less. You're welcome :-)

GATHER AND PREP YOUR INGREDIENTS
Yields 2 main course portions or 4 first course/appetizer portions

1 large bunch of kale, coarsely chopped with stems removed
1 tart apple (e.g. Granny Smith), peeled/cored and diced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1/4 cup lean bacon, diced
4 cups of chicken stock (or water w/ 2 cubes chicken bouillon)
Half a lemon (juiced)  
Salt and pepper to taste
Shaved Parmesan cheese (optional garnish)

GET COOKING
Start by browning the bacon in a deep skillet or cooking pot (no cooking oil needed, the bacon will release its own).

While the bacon cooks, squirt the juice from half a lemon atop the diced apple pieces. The lemon juice will prevent the apple from oxidizing and will enhance its tart quality.

Once the bacon is crispy, use a slotted spoon to remove it from the cooking pot and set aside in a small plate. 

Do not discard the fat rendered by the bacon, and place the kale directly on top in the same pot used to cook the bacon.

Over medium-high heat and a wooden spoon, toss the kale so that it's evenly coated with the "bacon oil." 

TIP: If not enough fat was rendered, add a little glug of olive oil. 

Once the kale begins to wilt, it's time to add the chicken stock. If you don't have chicken stock handy, you can substitute with 4 cups of water and 2 chicken bouillon cubes (which is what I did here).

Place the bacon back in the pot and stir gently.

Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium and simmer gently for 10 minutes. If you used bouillon, use the wooden spoon to gently help dissolve it into the liquid.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a separate non-stick skillet and sauteé the onion over medium heat until translucent.

Add the diced green apple, then sauteé at medium-high heat until the apple is soft and the onion barely begins to brown.

Transfer the apple/onion mix into the main cooking pot (with the kale, bacon and broth).

Stir and bring back to a boil, then simmer for another 3-5 minutes while you marvel at the complex and aromatic broth that developed in such a short time. Taste-test as you go and add salt to taste if needed. 

TIP: Be careful to not over-salt as the bacon itself should have seasoned the broth fully at this stage. Especially if you used bouillon cubes instead of chicken stock, think (and taste!) twice before you add more salt.

Remove cooking pot from heat. Divide and scoop half of its contents into a blender, taking care to also transfer about half of the broth (and not just the veggies/bacon mixture).

Blend steadily using low-medium speed, until the mixture is smooth and acquires a vidid, bright green avocado-like hue. The final product will look like it could be Cream of Broccoli's skinnier, prettier sister.

In other words, you'll know it's done when it looks like THIS:

Pour the blended soup onto a clean container or pot, then repeat the process with the remaining half. Combine the two batches in their new container and stir together before you ladle into individual bowls. 

Sprinkle generously with cracked pepper. If you want a little extra "wow factor," garnish with thin Parmesan cheese shavings. 

Happy New Year! Ironically, this would pair very well with a glass of Champagne...