Zuppa di Cavolo Nero con Salsiccia ed Orzo

Black Kale, Sausage and Barley Soup

It’s Winter, and that means soup to me. I was craving something satisfying, so I decided on meatballs and cavolo nero. And to be honest, I wanted a shortcut. Then I remembered the fennel sausages in the freezer. Bart had brought them home from his last trip to Bay Cities Italian Deli in Santa Monica. I used the sausages as a base for the meatballs, and the scheme worked beautifully. The meatballs were a snap to make, had great flavor, and they held together perfectly in the soup. If you are not a fan of fennel, or if you have something else in your freezer, maybe some spicy sausage, go ahead and use that.

I recommend using pearl barley. It is barley that has been processed to remove the outer hull, and it cooks more quickly and is somewhat less chewy than hulled barley. Note that I call for fresh breadcrumbs in the meatballs, not dried. I like to use egg bread, although a good Italian bread will do. Be certain you do not use sourdough. To make fresh breadcrumbs, place slices of bread on cutting board. Trim and discard crusts. Cut bread into quarters. Place in workbowl of food processor fitted with metal knife and process until finely ground.

Zuppa di Cavolo Nero con Salsiccia ed Orzo
Black Kale, Sausage and Barley Soup

serves 4

Meatballs

makes about 25 1 inch meatballs

1/2 pound Italian sausage with fennel seeds
1/2 small onion, grated
1 large egg yolk plus half an egg white
3 tablespoons Italian parsley, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
generous 1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs

Soup

1 medium yellow onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 quarts brodo di pollo (chicken broth)
1/2 cup pearl barley
1 bunch (about 9 ounces) cavolo nero, well rinsed, tough inner ribs removed and discarded, cut into 1 inch slices
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
generous pinch Peperoncino flakes
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to finish soup, if desired
Parmigiano to pass at table

To make the meatballs:

Remove sausages from their casings. Discard casings. Break sausages into small pieces. Set aside.

Grate onion. Blot and discard any liquid produced while grating.

In medium bowl combine onion, egg yolk and white, parsley, salt and pepper. Add cheese and bread crumbs, and combine well. Add sausage meat, and gently, but completely mix. Form into 1 inch meatballs. Place on parchment lined sheet pan while you proceed with soup base.

To make the soup:

In a 6 quart pot heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, salt and peperoncino flakes. Saute until just translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add garlic and saute lightly until fragrant, being careful not to let it brown, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Add chicken brodo. Bring to boil and add barley. Lower heat to a mild simmer. Cook 10 minutes.

Add meatballs. Cook 5 minutes to allow meatballs to firm up.

Place kale over meatballs, pressing down very gently to submerge. Cook 20 minutes more at a gentle simmer until kale has softened and barley is cooked to your liking. Serve with a bit of olive oil drizzled over soup, if desired. At table pass Parmigiano to grate over soup.

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