Hearty Kale and White Bean Soup
Description
If you’re looking for an immensely satisfying, healthy, one-pot winter meal, look no further than this kale and white bean soup. Using dried beans requires a bit of forethought for soaking and a longer cooking time, but you’ll be rewarded with intense flavor that can’t always be achieved with a canned bean. And perhaps, for those of us working from home (or home looking for work), it’s no big deal to take on some largely unattended cooking like a big pot of slow-simmered beans. The soup tastes even better on the second day and will keep for 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator. It also freezes well, and small amounts of the leftovers make an excellent pasta sauce when thickened with a bit of tomato paste. This meal also happens to be vegetarian, gluten-free, and if you’re celebrating Purim, this bean dish fits the bill. You’ll find most of the ingredients in our weekly sale from February 18th – 24th, so it’s a great time to give it a go!
Instructions
Soak beans overnight. Drain and rinse. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot and add the onion, carrot, and celery, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes and juice from the can, add another pinch of salt, and cook, stirring often, for 5 to 10 minutes, until the tomatoes have cooked down slightly. Add the water, tomato paste, oregano, parmesan rind, and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, add the bouquet garni and the soaked beans, then cover and simmer on low for about 90 minutes, or until the beans are beginning to soften. Add the potatoes and simmer, covered, for another 30 minutes until the potatoes are just about tender. Add the kale and simmer for another 10 minutes. Taste again and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Remove any remnants of the parmesan rind and the bouquet garni. Serve with a generous shaving of parmesan cheese and a wedge of crusty bread.
