Tuscan Bean Soup with Kale

  • Yield: 6 servings
  • Prep: 20 mins
  • Cook: 88 mins

Ingredients

Beans:
2cups dried cannellini or great Northern beans
2-- fresh rosemary sprigs, or 1/4 teaspoon dried
1/4teaspoon fresh sage, or 1/8 teaspoon dried
2-- fresh thyme sprigs, or 1/4 teaspoon dried
4cloves garlic, smashed
Soup:
2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 3/4cups yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 1/2cups carrots, peeled and diced
1 1/2cups celery, peeled and diced
1tablespoon shallot, peeled and diced
1/4teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt
2tablespoons garlic, finely chopped
1/4teaspoon fresh thyme, or 1/8 teaspoon dried
1/8teaspoon fresh sage, or 1 pinch dried
1/8teaspoon fresh oregano, or 1 pinch dried
8cups vegetable stock
1bunch kale or Swiss Chard, stemmed and chopped into bite-size pieces
-- prepared pesto
-- Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. To cook the beans: Sort out any debris and broken beans and rinse the beans well in a strainer. Place in a bowl or pot, cover with water and soak for at least 8 hours or overnight. Rinse beans well before cooking. Place soaked and rinsed beans in a pot and cover with 3 inches of water; add rosemary, sage, thyme and garlic. Bring to a boil and decrease the heat. Cook the beans at a low simmer (bubbles will occasionally break the surface) for 45 minutes to 1 hour; begin tasting after 30 minutes. When the beans are tender but still al dente, add 1 teaspoon salt to the pot. The last 15 minutes are important, as the beans start to cook faster; taste to ensure the beans don’t overcook and fall apart.
  2. To cook the soup: In an 8-quart pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt. Sauté until golden. Add the carrots, celery, shallot and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Sauté for 3 minutes more. Add the garlic, thyme, sage, and oregano and sauté for 2 minutes more.
  3. Deglaze the pot with 1/4 cup of the broth. Allow the liquid to evaporate. Add 6 cups more broth, and the beans, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add more broth if necessary to achieve the desired consistency. Add the greens and a pinch of salt and simmer until the greens have wilted. Serve in soup bowls with a dollop of prepared pesto and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Used with permission from One Bite at at Time: Nourishing Recipes for Cancer Survivors and Their Friends, by Rebecca Katz

Nutritional Info *per serving

  • Calories 410
  • Fat 10
  • Saturated Fat 1
  • Monounsaturated Fat 7
  • Sodium 449
  • Carbohydrate 59
  • Fiber 15
  • Protein 18