This is the combination of two ingredients I discovered in the last two years, ones that are delicious in pretty much anything, in my opinion. Kale, hearty, green and healthy and white beans (aka cannellini beans), melt in your mouth good. The side benefit of this filling soup is that it is wonderfully good for you and full of protein and fiber. Yum! We served it with cornbread muffins and a big salad with balsamic dressing. So good I wish I could have it again tonight. Be forewarned though, kale does NOT reheat well so if you have leftovers, pull the kale out or eat it all in your first serving. The white beans make excellent leftovers.

Ingredients:

3 cans of 15.5 oz white beans/cannellinis (you could use larger cans if you can find them or soaked beans with soaking liquid)

1 large bunch of fresh lacinto kale, chopped*

1 large onion, chopped

1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced

1 or 2 glugs of olive oil

1 tsp red pepper flakes

S+P to taste

**Many recipes call for “de-ribbing” of your kale or other leafy green. In the case of kale, I cut off the majority of the fibrous center of the leaf but I don’t go to great lengths to cut all of it out. I actually like the crunch of the smaller portions higher up in the leaves (if that makes any sense). Use your own judgement; how much to cut will depend on how fibrous it looks.

Heat your olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and toss in your onion, let simmer until onions are soft. Add minced rosemary, red pepper flakes and salt/pepper, let cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add two cans of white beans and stir to combine. At this point, you have two choices. You can either blend the current mixture with a stick blender (yay!) or food processor for a more smooth soup OR just add all of the beans, fold in the kale, cook it down for a few minutes, so no blending and have more of a bowl of savory beans and kale. If you’re blending, blend until smooth and then add in your third can of beans for a little bean texture. At this point, fold in your kale and let simmer for about 4-5 minutes. Taste and add seasoning if needed. Serve and enjoy!