White Bean and Kale Soup

This is a pantry soup with one fresh green. The beans make it filling without meat. Kale goes in at the end so it softens without turning gray.

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Ingredients

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• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
• 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 2 cans (15 oz each) white beans, rinsed
• 3 cups chopped kale, stems removed
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Grated Parmesan, optional

How to make it

1. Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat. Cook the onion and carrots for 6 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and thyme for 30 seconds.
3. Add the tomatoes, broth, beans, and salt. Simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Stir in the kale and cook for 4 minutes, until tender.
5. Add the lemon juice. Serve with Parmesan if you like.

Substitutions

• Spinach can replace the kale. Stir it in during the last minute.
• Cannellini, navy, or great northern beans all work.
• Chicken broth can replace vegetable broth.

Storage

Refrigerate for up to 4 days. The soup thickens as it sits. Add broth when you reheat it until steaming.

Pan and tools

• A large pot
• A wooden spoon
• A ladle

What to prep first

Dice the onion and carrots, and rinse the beans, before the pot heats. Kale stems take longer than the leaves, so strip them if they are thick.

What to serve with it

Crusty bread or a scoop of cooked rice in the bowl. A spoon of Parmesan and a thread of olive oil finish it.

Leftovers for lunch

This soup gets thicker as the beans sit. Loosen a lunch portion with broth or water and reheat until steaming. It is a good next-day meal.

If it goes wrong

A thin broth is fine, or mash a spoonful of beans against the side of the pot to thicken it. Tough kale went in too late or the stems were left on. Simmer it a few minutes more.

Make it part of your week

Save this recipe in the weekly planner so the grocery list is ready before you shop.