3-1/2 lbs. baking potatoes, baked and cooled
2 tbs olive oil
1 large yellow onion, sliced into short strips
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried sage
1 tsp salt
Plenty of fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup dry white wine (or broth)
4 cups vegetable broth
4 cups kale, torn into bite-size pieces (about 6 leaves)
1/4 cup plain soy milk
Potato Wedges
2 heaping tbs coarse cornmeal
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp paprika
Generous pinch of salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
Olive oil in spray bottle
Preheat oven to 350, poke potatoes with a fork, and wrap in aluminum foil. Bake for about an hour until easily pierced with a fork.
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.
While 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.
Once the onions are browned, add the garlic, fennel, thyme, sage, black pepper, and salt. Cook for 2 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, Mix in the kale. Cover and cook for 15 to 20 more minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the potato wedges
Slice the reserved
potato halves 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 cornmeal mixture.
Lightly coat the skillet with oil. Cook the potatoes on each cut side for about 4 minutes, or until golden and crispy. Spray with oil as you alternate cooking sides.
The soup should be done by this point. Use a potato masher to mush about half of the soup (for once, don't use an immersion blender); it will make the potatoes pasty and yucky), add the soy milk, and mix. If it's too thick, add a little water or vegetable stock.
Ladle into bowls and top with a potato wedge crouton (and bacon).