White Bean and Kale Soup

Last Revised:  Wednesday, January 06, 2010 21:36:37

This is a hearty winter soup that is wonderful topped with freshly grated Parmesan and chopped parsley.  I'm going to keep changing this recipe to get more protein involved...

Ingredients:

• 2-cups dry white beans — cannellini (white kidney) or northern beans
• 4-cups shredded cabbage
• 4-cups chopped kale
• 1-Tablespoon olive oil
• 1-large onion, chopped
• 3-large cloves garlic, minced
• 2-3 carrots (not too large), sliced into thin circles
• 3-medium red or white skinned potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2-15-ounce cans chicken broth
• 1-Tablespoon tomato paste
• 1-teaspoon red or white wine vinegar
• 1/2-teaspoon salt
• 1/2-teaspoon cayenne pepper
• freshly ground pepper
• 1-teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2-teaspoon thyme
• Toppings: (optional) Italian parsley, chopped
• freshly grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Soak the beans.  Drain and recover with water.  Cover and simmer for 45 to 60 minutes until the beans are tender. Drain the beans, saving three cups of the cooking water.  Set aside.

In a food processor or using a knife, shred the cabbage coarsely and chop the kale, setting them both aside.  In olive oil, sauté the onion until wilted, add the garlic and sauté, but don't brown.  Add the cabbage, carrots, potatoes, broth and tomato paste, wine vinegar, and seasonings.  Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a blender, puree half the beans with the 3 cups of bean water.  After the 30 minutes, add the whole beans and puree to the soup.  Simmer until the potatoes are tender, adding extra water and salt or ground pepper if necessary.  Just before serving, stir in the kale for a minute or two — just until it wilts.

Enjoy!