Kale and White Bean Soup
This is one of those dishes that I threw together on a Wednesday night because I had a lot of kale to use up and I was in the mood for soup, but then it was so delicious that I had to make it again immediately so I could measure the ingredients properly and photograph it for the blog. (You’d think I’d have learned by now to measure and photograph every time I create something new, but I never do!)
You can make every element of this from scratch if you have the time, or you can cheat and use what’s in your pantry for a quick meal. In this case, I used two cans of navy beans (cannellini would also work well) and a can of diced tomatoes packed in garlic, oregano, and basil. I did use homemade chicken stock, however. Just keep in mind that each of these elements, if purchased from the store, will contain a lot of sodium, so you may need to adjust your seasoning up or down accordingly. Also it goes without saying that you may substitute vegetable broth instead of chicken if you want a fully vegetarian soup.
Although I haven’t tried it, I bet this would be equally delicious if you used pasta instead of white beans. You could buy something small like ditalini noodles, or just break spaghetti into bite sized pieces. I’d use a whole pound, and I’d probably add it about 20 minutes before I was ready to eat since you’re simmering but not boiling. If you give it a try, let me know how it goes!
Kale and White Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 2-4 cloves garlic
- 5 cups kale, torn into bite-sized pieces (about 12 medium leaves)
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 4 cups water
- 1-14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes in Italian seasoning
- 2-15.5 ounce cans navy or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Grated Parmesan for topping (optional)
- Sourdough croutons for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Add two tablespoons olive oil to a dutch oven or soup pot and heat on medium
- Dice the onion and add to the olive oil, allowing to cook until translucent, 3-5 minutes. If they begin to caramelize, that is not a problem, but don't let them burn. Stir occasionally
- Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the garlic. Do not let the garlic turn brown as it will become bitter. Cook about 2 minutes
- Tear the kale into bite-sized pieces and remove the center rib. Add it to the pan and turn the heat back up to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to wilt, roughly another 5 minutes
- Add the beans and tomatoes and stir to combine
- Pour 4 cups of chicken stock and 4 cups of water into the pot and turn the heat up to high. Bring to a boil
- Reduce heat to medium-low to bring soup down to a simmer
- Add to the pot the oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine
- Allow to simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, then cover the pot and continue simmering for another 30 minutes
- Taste soup and adjust seasoning as desired. Serve hot with fresh-grated Parmesan and sourdough croutons
