White Bean, Potato and Kale Soup Recipe

"This is a nice hearty soup and very easy to make. Great for those cold winter nights. It is also very flexible, in that you can change it up a bit to suit your tastes. I prefer mine vegetarian, but you can also add a little pancetta or bacon; chicken or use chicken broth rather than vegetable; a can of diced tomatoes is very good; or if you can't find kale, use spinach."

Step by Step Method

Step 1

Base ... In a large pot, add the olive oil and bring to medium heat. Add in the onion, celery, garlic, and red pepper flakes which are optional, and saute until tender, about 4-5 minutes.

Step 2

Beans and Potatoes ... Once the vegetables are tender, add in the broth, dry seasoning and mix well. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Add one can of the beans, drained and rinsed to the soup. Take the second can and using a spoon just mix up the beans and the liquid right in the can. Make sure to get everything from the bottom. Add 1/2 of that can to the soup; then take a fork and mash up the remaining 1/2. Then add to the soup. Next, add in the potatoes, carrots (dried or fresh diced) and check for seasoning (salt and pepper) and simmer for 5 minutes. At this point if you were adding any additional ingredients such as; ham, chicken or tomatoes, now would be the time to add it.

Step 3

Pasta and Kale ... After your soup has cooked 5 minutes, add the pasta and the kale and bring to a boil. The stems or ribs on the kale are tough so make sure to remove them; also fine chop the kale. If using spinach, especially baby spinach, that would not be necessary. Reduce to a simmer and cook another 10 minutes until the pasta is done and the kale is tender. If you like it a bit thinner, you can add a bit more broth. ENJOY!