Cream of Kale Soup

1. Combine the ham shanks with the water in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil and reduce the heat.  Simmer for 50 minutes.  Add the potatoes, carrots, celery root, leeks and onion.  Bring to a boil and reduce the heat.  Simmer for 10 minutes longer, skimming off any foam that appears on the surface of the cooking liquid.  Drain, reserving the ham shanks, vegetables and 8 cups of cooking broth.
2. Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water and add the salt.  Bring to a boil and add the kale.  Reduce the heat and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes.  Drain in a strainer, discarding the cooking liquid.  Chop the kale very fine in a food processor or put it through a grinder.  The kale should measure about 1 1/2 cups.
3. Melt the butter in the saucepan used to cook the kale.  Add the flour and cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly.  Add the reserved 8 cups of cooking liquid and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Add the cream, kale and ground pepper.  Return to a boil and reduce the heat.  Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes or until heated through.  Add the vegetables and return to a boil.  Ladle into soup bowls and serve with the ham shanks.

Recipe reprinted with permission from Stig Hansen’s Cooking Danish, A Taste of Denmark (Eden, Utah, 2007).

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