Mediterranean white bean and kale soup

This soup is low in saturated fat and cholesterol.  It is a great source of dietary fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals (thiamin, riboflavin, folate, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin B6, calcium, potassium, copper and manganese).  The base of the soup is a vegetable broth, so this is vegan and gluten free as well. You can make the broth the night before leaving the vegetables and then reheating the next day and removing the vegetables. Soaking the vegetables overnight will deepen the broth flavor.  Start soaking the beans overnight until you need them in the afternoon the next day.

For a twist:  For kids, you can add cooked pasta or rice into your bowl, or have a toasted baguette on the side for dipping. You can also sprinkle a little bit of parmesan over the top.  If you want a little spicy kick, you could make an oil to drizzle over it (I’ve included it below). Greeks will add lemon to the soup in their bowl, I haven’t tried it yet myself but I enjoy lemon in my chicken soup.

Some tricks with cooking beans, I soak the beans overnight in salt water. This tenderizes the skin a little bit more. You can mash the soup a bit with a potatoe masher or put about 1/3 of the beans in a food processor and then add it back to the soup, doing either of these makes the soup broth silky. The kale, after deveining it,  I left the leaves soaking in leukewarm water and salt (a brine), to wash off the residual pesticides/fungicide on the leaves. It’s virtually impossible to grow kale without treatment (my dad grew kale and he is as organic as they come, he couldn’t avoid alittle spray otherwise, he’d have no crop).

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Mediterranean white bean and kale soup
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Mediterranean white bean and kale soup
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Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time Cook Time
6 1/2hour 2-1/2hour
Servings Prep Time
6 1/2hour
Cook Time
2-1/2hour
Instructions
    Vegetable Broth
    1. Warm 10 quart pot. Add olive oil and sautee celery, onion, garlic, parsley, carrots. You want the onion to look slightly yellow. Add the water and bring to boil and then simmer for 1 hour. Add salt to taste (you don't want this to be too salty, just enough for flavor)). At about 40 minutes, lightly mash the vegetables with a potatoe masher. This will get the juices out from the vegetables. The broth should simmer down to about half of what you started. The soup will taste richer as you cook it.
    2. Once about 1 hr, drain the soup in a colander, mash the veggies to extract juices and reserve the broth.
    Soup
    1. Puree onion, garlic, parsley and ginger. Set aside in a bowl.
    2. Puree tomatoe and set aside.
    3. In 10 qt pot, heat oil. Add onion puree and sautee for about 5 min.
    4. Add ground coriander, ground cumin, cinnamon to the sautee. Warm for a few minutes, you should smell an aroma.
    5. Add pureed tomato and cook for 5 min.
    6. Add in beans and saute lightly.
    7. Add in vegetable broth
    8. Add white wine and paprika.
    9. Bring to a boil and then cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
    10. Taste the soup, add salt to your taste.
    11. Continue simmering the soup for about 1 hour. Stir the soup frequently.
    12. Once the beans are cooked, take 1/3 of the beans and puree. Add back to the pot and continue simmering for 5 minutes.
    13. Add kale and cook for about 5 to 10 minutes. You don't want to overcook, as it makes the kale mushy.
    14. Serve.
    Hot Oil Drizzle
    1. Heat the following: 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 2 minced and garlic cloves until sautéed. Off heat, add, 2 teaspoon dried mint and 1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika. Use this drizzle in soup bowl.