We eat soup pretty much every week from October through May. Here are the two I cook the most, both white bean and kale soups but very different from each other. I often food prep these and eat them through the week as well.
Southwestern White Bean and Kale Soup
Serves 8. Adapted from this recipe.
Ingredients:
- 2 15oz cans corn, drained
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, diced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 7oz cans mild diced green chiles with liquid
- 2 15oz cans cannellini beans, drained
- 6 cups veggie broth (I use Better than Bouillon No Chicken concentrate and water)
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 large bunch kale, chopped and stems removed (about 6-8 cups)
- Juice from half a lime
- Salt and fresh pepper
1. Broil the corn until starting to brown, and set aside. I don’t add oil for this step.
2. In a large stock pot, sauté the onion in olive oil for 7 minutes or until soft. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add tomato paste and spices and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add green chiles and their liquid and cook 1 minute.
2. Add corn, cannellini beans and broth and bring to a boil.
3. Add kale, cover, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro, lime juice and fresh pepper. Using an immersion blender, puree about half of the soup. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Tuscan White Bean Soup
Serves 8. Adapted from this recipe. The original recipe says this takes 30 minutes, but that’s only true if all the vegetables are already chopped. I like to prepare all my vegetables before starting.
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
- 4 ribs celery, chopped
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 6 cups veggie broth (I use I use Better than Bouillon No Chicken concentrate and water)
- 4 15oz cans cannellini beans, with their liquid
- 1 tbsp chopped dried rosemary (I like to use a mortar and pestle)
- 1 large bunch kale, chopped and stems removed (about 6-8 cups)
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 3-4 inch parmesan rind (optional)
- Salt and fresh black pepper
- Juice from half a lemon
- Fresh-grated parmesan for serving (optional)
1. In a large stock pot, sauté the onions, carrots and celery in olive oil until soft, about 7-10 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about one minute.
2. Add veggie broth, beans with their liquid, rosemary, parmesan rind and bay leaves. Increase heat to high, bring to a boil, add kale, reduce heat to low, cover and cook 15 minutes.
3. Turn off heat, remove the bay leaves and parmesan rind, and add lemon juice. With an immersion blender, blend about half the soup. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Denise Resting 