Potato Soup with Kale Pesto

 it's so cold when i leave work lately.
and beyond windy.

i bundle up like a marshmallow peep.

or like randy in a christmas story.

whichever analogy works for you.

that's me.

i pretty much run to the metro from my office.

dreaming up dinner ideas.

very few of them involve salad.

but i do try to incorporate some greens.
like my new semi-love for kale.

that i can completely dehealthify.

into cheesy pesto.
since potato soup clearly needs pesto.
a couple spoonfuls stirred in right at the end.
for good measure.

and maybe a nice hunk of bread too.

it's not possible for me to have too many carbs in my life.
clearly.

Recipe: Potato Soup with Kale Pesto

Soup
Ingredients:
2 bags teeny tiny potatoes, chop into quarters
3 garlic cloves
1 shallot
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flake
3 cups veggie broth
3/4 cup ff half and half
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup grated asiago (TJ's rosemary flavored)

Method:
-melt butter on low
-add garlic and shallot, let soften 5 minutes
-raise heat to medium, add potatoes, stir around, let cook 10 minutes
-add spices, stir to combine
-add flour, stir to coat
-add veggie broth, bring to a boil
-knock heat down to a simmer, 30 minutes
-blend soup in batches, leave it a bit chunky
-return to pot, add water, stir
-add ff half and half and cheese
-adjust seasonings, may need a bit more salt and pepper

Kale Pesto

Ingredients
half bunch kale
3 tbsp grated asiago (rosemary flavored)
100 calorie pack almonds or equivalent amount
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp orange vinegar (lemon would have been the clear choice here, but i was out)
1/4 cup water

Method:
-cook kale in boiling water 5 minutes
-drain and squeeze water out of kate
-blend almonds in miniprep
-add kale and cheese to almonds
-add olive oil and vinegar
-add water as needed, you may need a bit more or a bit less depending on how smooth you like your pesto -add salt and pepper to taste