Tuscan-Style Potato Soup

Ingredients

• 2 heads garlic
• 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 cups finely chopped onion, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 2 1/4 pounds cubed peeled Yukon gold potato (about 6 cups)
• 4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 4 ounces pecorino Romano cheese, divided
• 6 ounces hot Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 ounce pancetta, finely chopped
• 1 cup chopped kale
• 1/4 cup fresh sage leaves
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. 2. Cut off pointed end of each garlic head to partially reveal cloves (do not peel or separate the cloves); place each head in the center of a small sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Drizzle 1/2 teaspoon oil over each head; wrap each in foil. Bake at 400° for 45 minutes; cool 10 minutes. Squeeze to extract pulp; discard skins.
3. 3. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 cups onion; sauté 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in pepper, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and potato; sauté 2 minutes. Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until potatoes are very tender, stirring occasionally. Place a food mill over a large bowl; pour potato mixture and garlic pulp into food mill. Press mixture through food mill; return mixture to pan. Stir in half-and-half. Finely grate 2 ounces cheese to yield 1/2 cup; stir into soup. Cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
4. 4. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add remaining 1/2 cup onion; sauté for 6 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in 1/8 teaspoon salt, sausage, and pancetta; cook 8 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble sausage.
5. 5. Cook kale in boiling water for 4 minutes; strain through a sieve over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Grate 1 ounce cheese. Combine kale, reserved cooking liquid, grated cheese, sage, and nuts in a food processor; process until finely ground. With processor on, gradually add 1 tablespoon oil through food chute, processing until combined. Ladle 1 cup soup into each of 6 bowls; top each serving with 3 tablespoons sausage mixture. Drizzle each serving with about 4 teaspoons kale mixture; shave remaining 1 ounce cheese evenly over soup.