Recipe: Spicy Pork & Kale Soup

I don't remember subscribing to Bon Appetit magazine, but i'm so glad I did. As soon as I got the January issue in the mail & saw the cover soup, I knew I had to make it. This was absolutely delicious. It wasn't overly spicy, the heat was a slow building heat, and the addition of the extra vegetables made it a little heartier. 

But the best part of this soup was the broth. I went to three stores and couldn't find sichuan peppercorns, so I substituted some chili garlic sauce. But in addition to the heat from the chili sauce, there was also red pepper flakes and cumin seed. The soy sauce & fish sauce also added depth to the broth. The broth was so good, this would have been delicious without the pork, noodles & vegetables. 

The recipe originally called for mustard greens, but I had a ton of leftover kale so I used that. The recipe says you could also try it with turnip greens & beet greens. 

Spicy Pork & Kale Soup

(Recipe adapted from this one.)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. of ground pork
• 3 cloves of garlic; minced
• 2" piece of ginger; peeled & finely grated
• 3 t. of crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 t. of cumin seeds; coarsely chopped
• 3 T. of chili garlic sauce
• 1 T. of vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion; chopped
• 3 carrots; peeled & diced
• 6 cups of chopped kale
• 6 cups of chicken stock
• 3 T. of soy sauce
• 2 t. of fish sauce
• 8 oz. of wide rice noodles 

Directions:

1. Mix pork, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, cumin, and salt & pepper in a large bowl. 
2. Saute onions & carrots in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Cook for 5-7 minutes, and remove with a slotted spoon.
3. Add pork mixture to the pot and cook for about 8-10 minutes, or until browned. Stir constantly & break up with a spoon while it is cooking. 
4. Add veggies and broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the greens, soy sauce and fish sauce and cook for about 5 minutes, or until greens are tender. 
5. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package instructions. Drain, and set aside. 
6. To serve: Divide the noodles among the soup bowls and ladle soup over.