Pierogi Soup (with cabbage and sausage)

As promised, I have explored my tastebuds' imagination and invented a Pierogi Soup!  It's really like runny buttery mashed potatoes with cabbage and sausage.  How can that be wrong?  Maybe someday I'll actually make my own pasta but in the meantime, this was pretty awesome.  I used campanella pasta, which looks like baby conch shells.  I have declared this soup the "Best thing I've ever made"!  I won't make you wait...

2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

8 Tbsp Butter (1 stick)

2 Medium Sweet Onions, diced

1 Small Cabbage, diced

2 Cloves Garlic, minced

6 large potatoes, peeled and diced

1 Lb Sweet Italian Sausage

1 Carton Chicken Stock

1 Cup Heavy Cream

2 Cups dry Campanella pasta

2 Cups Kale, diced

Salt and Pepper

Remove the sausage from the casings.  Smash flat on a baking dish and sprinkle with garlic salt and cayenne pepper.  Bake at 375* for 30 minutes.

Sauté the onions in olive oil and 2-4 Tbsp of butter (adding more if needed) in a medium stock pot until caramelized.  Add the diced cabbage.  Cook for a few minutes.  Add the minced garlic and sauté briefly, it must not burn!  Add the potatoes (I used a few gold and a few red).  Add the chicken stock plus enough water to cover.  Bring to a slow boil.  Simmer for 30 minutes.  Add the remainder of the butter.  Using a handheld potato masher, slowly mash the potatoes while slowly pouring in the heavy cream.  Leave the soup as chunky as you prefer, I mashed about half of mine.  Season with salt and pepper.  Remove the sausage from the oven and cut into bite-sized pieces.  Add the sausage to the soup.  Add the pasta.  Last but not least, add my favorite soup ingredient...the kale.  Make sure to wash it good.  You don't want any bugs in your heavenly mashed potato soup.  Reduce heat and simmer on low until pasta is soft or you are ready to serve!