I have had my eye on this for a while and plan to try it this weekend. Would you consider this a soup that improves for having spent overnight in...

2 thumbs up on this soup. Since I am cooking for one the tip about adding the greens at the end came in very handy. I made soup early Saturday AM and after an active day came home, portioned out what I planned to eat, added some kale and simmered for about 10 minutes. Perfect. The advise about multitasking is so useful also. I think mise en place can be so overdone for the home cook. If I am stir frying that is one thing. If I am braising you better bet the meat is browning while I am chopping veggies.

HI Nancy -- Thanks for your take on the smoked meat. While I am not a big smoke fan either ( barbeque etc) I usually like smoked pork products. I have 2 small smoked pork chops, thinking I would maybe use both of them. But you have given me something to consider so I might dial it back to only one of them.

Antonia -- Thanks for the tip on the greens. I will be out all day tomorrow and it would be great to come home to an almost complete pot of soup so I think I will start this today and then follow your tips on finishing off tomorrow.

Hey, caninechef, thanks for asking! I often make this ahead but ALWAYS leave out the greens until I'm heating it up immediately before serving. To my mind, the greens' texture deteriorates after even a short while.

You can prep the greens ahead of time. When reheating, once the soup reaches a good boil, plunge the greens in, give the pot a good stir, and cook just until the greens are tender. Test the seasoning and correct - dishes like this made ahead often needs a bit more on reheating.

And don't forget a good splash of vinegar, either at the table, or immediately before serving. I hope you like this. It's a favorite of ours which lends itself to so many variations. ;o)

I think it depends upon your taste, really. Since it has a smoked meat component, which will impact the flavour, that would be a difference-maker for me. I am not a huge fan of smoky-tasting meats, and would therefore not want it to sit and get a more intense smoky flavour profile. I'd serve it fresh. If you don't mind that, and if you want it to thicken up (which potatoes do nicely overnight), give it a rest, by all means.