Soup and cornbread scores big at Super Bowl parties
Every Super Bowl party needs a hearty soup, even if it is in Miami. The big game is played in February and usually cool enough here in the Lowcountry.
This hearty, easy to prepare and quick soup works well for big and small groups. It is rich, so a cup will do, along with all the other Super Bowl snacks. This recipe can be made ahead of time, in fact, it is more flavorful the second day.
SAUSAGE, WHITE BEAN AND KALE SOUP
This recipe serves four, so you might double if serving a group.
Ingredients:
• 1 lb. sausage - 2 sweet and 2 hot Italian sausage (you can use only sweet or only hot depending on the amount of heat you want, but the addition of hot sausage makes it a great winter dish).
• 1 c. chopped sweet onion
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 4 c. chicken stock
• 1 15.5 oz. can white northern beans
• 1 28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• ½ tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 5 c. loosely packed baby kale
Directions:
Cook the sausage in a Dutch oven over medium high, stirring often, until the meat crumbles and begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion softens and the sausage is browned all over, about 4 more minutes.
Add the stock, stirring and scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven. Add the beans, tomatoes, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer about 20-25 minutes.
Stir in the kale and cook, stirring constantly, until softened about 1 or 2 minutes.
Serve hot with skillet cornbread. If you make the soup a day early, simply re-heat when the corn bread is ready the next day.
UNCLE JACK'S SOUTHERN SKILLET CORNBREAD
This cornbread recipe is from my Uncle Jack in Alabama. He is long gone, but the recipe lives on. It the best old-fashioned corn bread you will ever taste. No sugar, no flour, very basic ingredients, but crispy and the perfect accompaniment for any winter soup.
Ingredients:
• 2 c. plain yellow or white cornmeal (not self-rising)
• 2/3 c. sweet milk
• 2/3 c. buttermilk (not low fat)
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tbsp. Crisco (not cooking oil)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Add Crisco to a 10” iron skillet, heat in hot oven until slightly bubbling. While the skillet is heating, mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Pour the bubbling Crisco into the cornbread mixture and immediately pour into the hot skillet. Bake at 400 until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool slightly and slice into triangles, serve immediately.