Kale and Bean Soup

A friend made us this soup several years ago, and we have been working to reverse engineer the recipe ever since. It only takes one perishable ingredient (the kale) and everything else can be pantry-stable (frozen celery, carrot and onion mixes, or “mirepoix” are in many stores, and these veggies also keep for awhile). Today I made a big batch. This recipe takes a bit over 2 hours, although any of the simmer steps can go a bit longer. It makes a large amount of nutritious and hearty soup.

This recipe freezes well, but the grains will soak up a lot of the broth, almost creating a risotto-like consistency. When thawing, add at least one cup water for two cups of frozen soup and bring to boil in a pot.

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 1 onion
• 2 carrots
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 can (or 2 cups frozen) chicken stock
• 1 can light beans (canneloni beans, black-eyed peas, navy beans all work well)
• 1 cup grains (rice or farro work well. We used Arborio rice today.)
• 1 (15 oz) can of diced tomatoes
• 1 bunch chopped kale (we used a 16 oz bag)
• Salt, pepper, basil, parsley and parmesan cheese can be flavorings

Directions

1. Heat olive oil on large pot over medium-high heat
2. Add onion, carrot and celery. Cook 5 minutes until onions soften and become fragrant.
3. Add beans (we include the juice, unless the can specifies it must be drained), chicken stock and an additional 4-6 cups of water.
4. Bring to boil, cover and reduce to simmer for an hour.
5. Add the grains, canned tomatoes (and juices) and some salt and pepper. Give a good stir. Return to a boil, then cover and reduce to simmer for 15-20 minutes.
6. Raise heat to medium, begin stirring in kale. Stir kale in slowly. It will shrink as it heats up. Add all the kale.
7. Simmer for another 30 minutes. Season to taste, including salt, pepper, parmesan and other seasonings.

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