For those wishing to find a wonderful cold-weather belly warmer, this kale soup recipe is the answer. A modified version of Portuguese Kale Soup, known as "caldo verde" in Portuguese, it is comfort food personified. It uses Polish smoked kielbasa instead of the more traditional Portuguese sausages like linguica and chorizo. The soup is easy on the budget, simple to fix, do-ahead, tasty, and nutritious.

Kale Health Benefits Include Cancer-Fighting Phytonutrients

Kale is a special gem on the nutritional scale. A member of the cabbage family along with broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and collards, there are no fats to worry about, and it’s a very good source of fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Riboflavin, Calcium, Potassium and Manganese. A cup of cooked kale has about 40 calories. And since it is a cruciferous vegetable, it is also believed to have cancer-fighting properties thanks to its phytonutrients (also called phytochemicals).