Another of Tom's Fav Recipes

A quick check of the garden revealed some gorgeous kale, young and tender and ready to be picked.

And what to do with that basket full of green goodness?  A pot of Tom's favorite soup, of course!  Soup is the perfect food:  warm, comforting, soothing, nutritious, freezable, and goes great with salad, cornbread, croutons, crackers, or a nice baked potato!  Recipes for Kale and Bean Soup are as plentiful as freckles on my face in the summer, but here's a mash-up of a couple of different recipes found while wandering on the Web a few years ago:

a teaspoon or two of olive oil
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
4 cups of fresh kale, remove the thick center vein and chop the remaining leaves
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cans, 15-oz. each, cannelli beans or other white beans
1 can, 15-oz., petite diced tomatoes
fresh rosemary and thyme, a couple of teaspoons each (or to taste), chopped
salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add onion and saute until soft.  Add garlic and saute a minute more.  Add kale and saute until wilted. 

Add 3 cups of the broth, 2 cups of the beans, tomatoes, herbs, salt, and pepper.  Simmer 10 minutes.

Using a blender or food processor, puree the remaining broth and beans until smooth.  Mix into the soup (this thickens and enriches the soup).  Simmer 15 - 20 minutes. 


Serve to those you love!