Winter stew with kale and pumpkin

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 1 small Hokkaido pumpkin(s)
• 400 g potatoes
• 1 jar kale
• 500 ml broth or 2 tsp vegetable broth
• 1 onion(s)
• 2 tbsp chili oil
• 1 pinch of allspice powder
• 125 g diced ham
• 2 Mettenden
• 2 large tomatoes

Instructions

Working time approx. 35 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 5 minutes

Kale with a twist

First, pre-cook the pumpkin on a grill for 20 minutes at 120°C (250°F). This will make the pumpkin softer and easier to cut. You can use the pumpkin with the skin on. Once the pumpkin has cooled slightly, you can cut it into pieces without further ado. The seeds are best removed with a spoon. In the meantime, chop the onion and tomatoes. Then peel the potatoes and dice them into small pieces. Once everything is ready, I add a good 2 tablespoons of chili oil to a large pot. The chili oil is olive oil in which a small, hot chili has been marinated. Then I add the onion and ham and sweat everything briefly. I deglaze with the liquid from the jar of kale. Now I add the potatoes, pumpkin, tomato pieces, and kale to the pot one after the other. Since I’m using granulated stock, I fill the jar of kale with water and add 2 heaped teaspoons of stock. Then I quickly put the lid on the jar to shake out every last bit of kale. I then pour the liquid into the pot and let everything simmer for 20 minutes, adding the allspice powder halfway through. After 20 minutes, when everything is soft, I use a potato masher to mash the individual ingredients. This method preserves the soup’s structure. If you prefer a finer texture, you can of course also use a blender. Lastly, I add the finely chopped mettenden sausages. They add a nice touch of flavor. Only after the stew has come to a proper boil do I season again with salt and pepper.