Portuguese: Sopa de Couves – Kale Soup

1. 1 pound (450gr) dried red kidney beans soaked
2. overnight in water to cover by 2 inches (5 cm)
3. 3 pounds (1.35 kg) beef shin bone or lamb
4. shanks,trimmed of excess fat
5. 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
6. 1 bay leaf
7. 3 quarts (2.8 liter) water
8. 1 1/2 cups (120 gr) yellow turnip, cut in 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes)
9. 3/4 pound (350 gr) chourico or salpicao sausage
10. 3 medium Main, Red Bliss or new potatoes, peeled and cut into
11. 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
12. 1 or 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch (0.6cm) rounds
13. 1/4 teaspoon crushed dried chili pepper
14. 1/4 cup small pasta, like elbows
15. 1 bunch(1-1/2 pounds) (675 gr) fresh collard greens,rinsed trimmed
16. of center rib and torn into 1-
17. to 2- inch (2.5 to 5 cm) pieces
18. 1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
19. 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
20. 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Drain and rinse the beans. Place the beans, onions garlic and bay leaf together with the shin bone in to a large soup pot. Pour in about 3 quarts of water or enough to cover the beef shin by 1-inch. Cover, bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer the beef and beans while occasionally skimming any impurities from the broth, about 1 1/2 hours. When the beans are very tender, remove about 1 cup to a small dish and mash them with a fork, adding some of the broth. Return the mashed beans to the pot. (You can also mash all the beans through a foodmill if you do not like the texture of whole beans or bean skins. Add the turnip if using and simmer for 20 minutes. If you are using salpicao sausage, remove any clips clamped on the end of the casing. Add the sausages with the potatoes, carrots and crushed red pepper. Continue to simmer until the vegetabes are almost cooked, about 20 minutes. Throw in the pasta, kale, olive oil, salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes. Soup is ready when the pasta is done and the kale is tender. Remove all the meat and sausages from the pot. Trim away and discard any gristle, fat and bone. Cut the meat and sausages in to pieces. For the salpicao, remove and discard the casing before cutting into pieces. Return the meat to the pot or on the side as a separate course. Serve the soup with lots of crusty bread