Kale and andouille soup

V made this tasty, wholesome, winter soup with help from James Peterson and his own sense of what might work, using leftover kale and andouille sausage. Made me proud :)

Serves 4

1 medium onion, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed but left more or less whole
4 andouille sausages, defrosted if frozen and cut into 1/2 inch thick discs
1 medium sized bunch of curly kale leaves torn into bite sized bits
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp dried thyme or 1 1/2 tsp fresh thyme
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1 cup of partially cooked rice
4 cups of chicken stock
Juice of half a lime

1. Heat about a 2-3 tbsps of olive oil in a soup pot. Cook andouille sausages until they are lightly browned but not necessarily fully cooked. Remove and reserve.
2. Now, add onions and lightly brown them. Add garlic and cook until you can smell the garlic.
3. Add the partially cooked rice and stir it around to mix well. Season with salt, pepper and thyme.
4. Pour in stock along with Kale and sausages. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat, cover and let cook for another 10 mins until the rice and kale is completely cooked through.
5. Combine flour with a couple of tbsps of hot soup in a cup to make a paste. Add this paste back into the soup. Let simmer for a minute.
6. Turn off the heat and stir in the lime juice. Adjust for salt and pepper if necessary.
7. Serve with warm french bread.