“Sausage,” Kale, and White Bean Soup.

Sometimes, meals just don’t go according to plan.

This morning, after my run and before work, I put together this recipe, a favorite from Real Simple, adding all of the ingredients to my trusty Crock-Pot.  I sliced the Lightlife chorizo, poured in a can of cannellini beans, added a can of diced tomato, sprinkled in some garlic powder and pepper for kick, and thoroughly washed and cleaned one bunch of kale, tearing it up roughly and adding it to the crockery before topping everything off with a carton of vegetable broth and stirring to coat.  I flipped the pot on and left for the day, returning home tonight to the great aroma of simmering soup.

You’ll notice that one thing I did not include in tonight’s ingredients list was live bait.  But lo and behold, what perched on my spoon halfway through my first bowl of soup tonight but a caterpillar.  (Deceased.)

At first, I wasn’t actually sure that he was a caterpillar.  Could it be a piece of malformed kale?  A shriveled-up bean?  A … diced tomato that doesn’t look all like a diced tomato?  But no.  Definitely a caterpillar.  (Deceased.)

Now, at this point, I had several choices.  I could delicately place the caterpillar on my napkin (spoiler alert: I did that), and then opt to continue eating, or I could add the caterpillar to the napkin and announce the end of dinner.  Or I could run screaming from the house, which I sort of wanted to do on principle but refrained. 

I chose Door No. 2.  The rest of that bowl of soup went down the drain, and I am sorry to report that the rest of the pot will be going down the same path as soon as the broth cools sufficiently.

Now, I know there are people out there – maybe you? – who will scoff at this decision.  I still remember a commenter who got on me a few years ago for throwing out a peeled and sliced squash after every single slice had fallen on the kitchen floor in a cutting board accident.  I regret nothing then, and I regret nothing now!  I’m frugal – at times, downright cheap – but I am not going to eat caterpillar soup.  Not if I can help it, at least!  Call it a personal decision, and make fun if you like.  But finding a caterpillar in my bowl is where I draw the line.

Plus, it’s not vegetarian.  Ahem.  ;)

So dinner ended a bit abruptly this evening, but the soup sure tasted good before I knew the sordid truth!  Perhaps now I’ll wash my mouth out with a glass of wine.  For health purposes, you know.

:)