Kale and Sausage Soup

1. Melt butter in a stockpot over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and stir until mixture becomes paste-like and light golden brown, about 3 minutes. Gradually whisk chicken broth and water into roux, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, and sage; cook until mixture has thickened and onions are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir sausage in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer sausage to a paper towel-lined plate to remove excess grease.

3. Add sausage, potatoes, kale, and mushrooms to the stockpot. Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 45 minutes. Add half-and-half and season with salt and pepper.

Tips

Sometimes I end up throwing another 2 or 3 tablespoons of butter in the soup and sometimes 2 more tablespoons of flour to make it a little thicker. You can also throw in another tablespoon of sage; I think that it makes it taste good.