Sausage, kale and cauliflower, oh my!

I make a lot of soup for myself.  I think it stems from years without a dishwasher and really embracing the idea of 1 pot cooking.  I also eat in my living room the majority of the time, I know you all imagine me dressing for dinner à la Downton Abbey, but usually I'm watching bad TV in my pajamas, balancing my dinner on my lap. That's the other reason soup is great, all you need is a spoon (and possibly a napkin), you don't have to worry about using a knife and fork to cut, while balancing your plate.  

Now, I recognize that I could just sit at the table like a civilized person, but it's just not who I am, man.  The Dudette abides in her bathrobe clutching her bowl of soup.

This soup is a go-to for me, and happens to be a variation on Zuppa Toscana.  Here's what you'll need:

• 3 links of Italian turkey sausage
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 head of cauliflower, chopped into bite-sized florets
• 1 bunch of greens, this is Tuscan kale (3-4 cups, chopped)
• 4 cups water
• 4 cups milk
• salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste

I like the Jennie-O Hot Italian sausage, but I like Hot Italian anything

Saute your onion, carrot and celery in the olive oil, after about 5 minutes, add your sausage, make sure to remove the casing first, so you're just adding the ground meat.  Once the turkey is browned, add 4 cups of water and your cauliflower to the pot.

Simmer the soup until the cauliflower is tender, then add your chopped greens and milk.  Spinach is cooked almost immediately, but kale takes a few minutes.  Make sure not to bring the soup to a hard boil after you've added the milk, because it can make the milk separate.  It won't taste bad, it'll just look kind of gross and grainy.

Total time with simmering, etc., about an hour.

When you're all done, throw on your PJs and snuggle up with some 30 Rock re-runs.  The one where Liz gets her own talk show is a personal favorite.