Red Curry Soup with Rice and Purple Kale

Purple Kale intimidates me.  I always see it in the produce section but it seems too complicated.  No...sophisticated I guess.  It's elegant but bold, you know?  Something that might be a challenge to make work in a recipe.  I always just admired it from a distance.

You guys, I was SO wrong.  Purple kale is totally magnificent!  Not to mention a nutritional powerhouse.  I'm sure this soup would also be good with regular kale or spinach or whatever greens you want but if you get the chance give the purple stuff a try.  

I've been trying to decide what dinner I'm going to take over to Jenny when this baby human emerges from her belly all shiny and new.  I think this just might be the one.  

Red Curry Soup with Rice and Purple Kale

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 small onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

3/4 cup brown basmati or jasmine rice, rinsed

6 cups vegetable broth

1 teaspoon salt

2-3 tablespoons red curry paste

1 bunch purple kale, pulled from stems and torn into bite size pieces

1 large sweet potato

1 can coconut milk

1 tablespoon agave

juice of one lime

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped

Preheat a 4 quart soup pot over medium heat.  Saute onion in oil with a pinch of salt for 5 minutes or so, until translucent.  Add garlic and ginger and saute a minute more.  Add rice, vegetable broth and salt, cover pot and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, lower heat to a simmer.  Mix in 2 tablespoons curry paste.  Add kale and sweet potatoes.  Cover pot and let simmer for about 15 minutes, until sweet potatoes are tender.  Add coconut milk, agave and lime.  Taste for salt and flavor.  Add more curry paste if you like (I like).  Remove from heat and serve immediately, or even better let it sit for 10 minutes to give the flavors a chance to meld.  Top with fresh cilantro.