White Bean Kale Soup

| Lulu

luluesque-white bean-kale soup

Betcha didn’t know that you actually like lima beans, huh? Lima beans (Phaseolus Lunatus) and butter beans are actually the same beans, but at different stages: limas are green and immature, while butter beans are, white, mature, and dried. These kidney-shaped legumes got their name from Lima, Peru, their place of origin. They are a great source of fat-free protein and their high fiber content help stabilize sugar levels—perfect for individuals with diabetes or hypoglycemia!

I normally use canned organic cannellini beans, but for this particular post, I wasn’t able to find them at the grocery store. You can essentially use any of the three popular “white beans” (i.e., navy, Great Northern, or cannellini), that pleases your palate. Read about the differences HERE.

INGREDIENTS:

  • organic grape seed oil
  • 10 cups filtered water
  • 1 28-ounce can organic stewed Roma tomatoes ~ cut into large chunks, keep the liquid
  • 1 16-ounce can organic butter beans~ strain the beans of the liquid
  • 1 16-ounce can organic Great Northern beans ~ strain the beans of the liquid
  • 1 medium yellow onion ~ washed, peeled, and diced
  • 8 large cloves garlic ~ peeled, smashed and coarsely chopped
  • 2 medium organic carrots ~ washed, cut into desired size
  • 5 large stalks organic celery ~ washed, ends discarded, cut into desired size
  • 2 medium zucchini ~ washed, ends discarded, cut into desired size
  • 1 bunch organic lacinato kale ~ washed, tough stems discarded, leaves cut into strips or large chunks
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp dried organic oregano
  • sea salt ~ to taste
  • evaporated cane sugar ~ to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper ~ to taste
  • red pepper flakes ~ optional
  • organic curly parsley ~ washed, stems discarded, and chopped; optional

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Prep all your vegetables.
  2. In a large stock pot, heat the oil on medium-high heat. Sauté the onion and garlic until translucent and aromatic.
  3. Add the carrots, celery and zucchini; sauté until half cooked.
  4. Add the 10 cups of water, canned beans, canned tomatoes, and the bay leaf.
  5. Bring to a boil for a few minutes. Skim off the foam and discard.
  6. Lower heat to medium for a soft rolling boil.
  7. Add the oregano, sugar, salt, and any spices you’d like.
  8. Reduce heat to low and let it simmer for about 5 minutes.
  9. Slowly stir in the kale strips/chunks and remove from the stove.
  10. Serve with freshly ground black pepper and chopped parsley. Enjoy and stay warm! 🙂