Another great White Bean and Kale Soup

A friend asked me recently for some ideas for serving up kale with dinner. So, I wanted to get this soup on the website for her to give a try. Here you go, Lucinda…

This soup is adapted from one of my absolute favorite cookbook authors. I HIGHLY recommend this cookbook: Appetite For Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. I have a ton of her cookbooks and almost never been disappointed with the recipes. What I appreciate about this cookbook is that it is focused on more healthful recipes without sacrificing any taste whatsoever. And, she includes nutritional information for each recipe. Any adjustments I make to her recipes are simply my own preferences or based on what I have on hand. This recipe serves 8

Herb Blend:

1/2 tsp. crushed fennel seeds (I give them a whirl in my coffee grinder that I use for grinding flax seeds or herb seeds)

1 tsp. dried marjoram

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried rosemary

freshly ground pepper

Everything Else:

1 tsp olive oil

2 cups thinly sliced leeds (white and light green parts)

4 cloves minced garlic

2 lg. carrots, peeled and cut into med. dice

2 lg. parsnips, peeled and cut into med. dice

8 cups vegetable broth (I use better than bouillon no-chicken chicken broth)

1 cup dried quinoa or millet (rinse millet well before using to get rid of slightly bitter taste)

1 can white beans, drained and rinsed (I used 2 cans, but that is just preference)

1 large bunch of kale (about 1 lb), course stems removed, torn or cut into bite-sized pieces

First, prepare herb blend – mixing them in a small bowl

Preheat soup pot over med-high heat. Saute leeks and garlic in oil for about 3 minutes. Add carrots, parsnips and herb blend, turning heat to high. Saute for a few minutes.

Add broth and grain (quinoa or millet). Cover and bring to a boil. once boiling, lower heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes. Add kale and beans and cook, stirring frequently, until the kale is wilted. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 5 more minutes. Salt to taste. Isa recommends adding a touch of lemon juice or balsamic vinegar or even hot sauce – whatever you prefer… or (like me) you can add nothing and be perfectly happy with this wonderfully tasty soup.

*The original recipe uses 1 less carrot, 1 less parsnip, and adds 1 1/2 lbs. of Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into medium dice.* If you do this, add the potatoes when you add the grain.*