Potato Soup:
6-8 baking potatoes, baked and cooled
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, sliced into short strips
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon salt
plenty of fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup dry white wine
4 cups vegetable broth
4 cups kale, torn into bite-size pizza
Potato Wedges for Garnish:
2 heaping tablespoons coarse cornmeal or panko
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon paprika
generous pinch of salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil in a spray bottle
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1. Once your potatoes are baked and cool enough to handle, preheat a soup pot and saute the onions in the olive oil over medium-high heat until good and brown, about 12 minutes.
2. White the onions cook, prep the potatoes - slice the baked potatoes in half lengthwise. Reserve three of the halves to make the potato wedges. Slice the rest into 3/4 inch chunks.
3. Once the onions are browned, add the garlic, fennel, thyme, sage, black pepper, and salt. Cook for two more minutes, then add the wine to deglaze the pan. Add the chunks of potatoes and the broth, cover, and lower the heat a bit to bring to a low boil.
4. Mix in the kale. Cover and cook for 15 or 20 more minutes.
5. Slice the reserved potato wedges in half lengthwise so you have six pieces. Preheat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Combine all the ingredients for the wedges (except for the oil) on a plate. Wet the potato wedges with a little bit of water and dredge the two cut sides in the panko mixture.
6. Lightly coat the skillet with oil. Cook the potatoes on each cut side for about four minutes, or until golden and crispy. Spray with oil as you alternate cooking sides.
7. The soup should be done by this point. As an option, mash half of the potatoes with a potato masher. Ladle into bowls and top with a potato wedge crouton.
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recipe adapted from Veganomicon
