Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Kale and White Bean Soup

Look at that bowl full of delicious vegetables and hearty greens. You can almost feel the health benefits from that dark green leafy kale. Due to the Southern tradition of eating greens and black-eyed peas on New Year's Day, both items were drastically on sale this week, so I stocked up on two large bags of kale, already washed and chopped for me. That made this soup even easier. Without the sprinkle of cheese on top, it would also be vegan, if you so desire. Despite lacking any strong spice in the recipe, the flavor of all the ingredients balanced nicely. The sweetness of the carrots and acidity of the tomatoes complemented the strong flavor of the greens with the beans adding protein and heft. It also comes together very quickly, making it a perfect weeknight soup.

Kale and White Bean Soup
source: Whole Foods Market

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup diced yellow onion
4 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 (32-ounce) box vegetable broth
4 cups packed chopped kale (I tossed in 4 big handfuls.)
1 (14.5-ounce) can Italian-Style Diced Tomatoes
1 (14.5-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced

Preparation
In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes longer. Add broth, kale, tomatoes, and fresh carrots and cover. Cook 5 minutes or until kale is tender. Add beans and heat thoroughly. Serve hot, garnished with Parmesan cheese or croutons, if you like.

4 comments:

Cate said...

I've been on a total soup kick lately, and it doesn't look like it will be stopping any time soon! This is going on next week's menu!

Peter Wang said...

This soup has an interesting heritage. It comes from the Galico-Portuguese speaking people (Portugal and NW Spain AKA Galicia). Therefore, it has also migrated to anywhere where Portuguese and Galicians have gone in the world, which is... everywhere. Sometimes it is called "Caldo Gallego" or Galician Stew.

Karine said...

I love kale and your soup sounds amazing! thanks for sharing.

Happy New Year!

Evelyn said...

Just have to give a shout-out to kale. It's awesome!