Cannellini Kale Soup
Winter: The time for crockpot creations, baked dishes that make your house smell amazing, and bubbling pots of soups and stews. As much as some people may love the warmer months, it’s a pretty comfy and cozy time. What better way to kick off the winter season than with our first soup!
Cannellini Kale Soup
I originally found this recipe on Eat with Clarity, but I have tweaked it a bit since I started making it. What I love about it though is it really does only take 30-35 minutes to make, which is great on a weeknight. I usually do let it simmer a bit longer if I have the time.
There are two things that really make this soup in my opinion:
The flavor from the wine. The original recipe calls for pinot grigio, but I’m more of a sauvignon blanc kind of girl and don’t normally have pinot in the house. But sautéing the veggies with the wine really gives it that something extra.
Blending some of the soup and adding it back to the pot. Depending on how much you choose to blend, you could really make this more of a stew than a soup. For this recipe, I like it right in the middle: not super thick, but not overly brothy either. Blending it makes the soup more full-bodied and flavorful, so trust me, don’t skip that step!
Okay maybe a third thing:
3. The spices. Nothing quite out of the ordinary with thyme, oregano, and Italian seasoning, but the red pepper flakes definitely give it a little kick and push the flavor profile over the edge.
On occasion, I’ve also grated some parmesan to sprinkle on top, but it’s also perfect without it. As with any soup, a nice rustic loaf of bread is a great pairing for dipping (duh, bread is the best part of having soup and if anyone tells you any different, they’re lying), and this soup in particular is even better the next day.
Happy Soup Season!
-S
Ingredients:
3 15 oz cans cannellini beans
1 yellow onion finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2tbsp of olive oil
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
2 stalks of celery, diced
1/3 cup white wine - sauvignon blanc
2 cups chopped kale
2 1/2 - 4 cups vegetable broth - for more like a thicker stew, use 2-3 cups, but 3-4 for a brothier soup.
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper or to taste
1/4 tsp red peper flakes
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
2 bay leaves
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp oregano
Method:
Sauté the chopped onion in a large pot with the oil. Once it starts to brown slightly, add in the garlic, celery, and carrot. Sauté an additional 10 or so minutes to let veggies soften.
Add in the white wine and sauté until most of the liquid has evaporated, 5-7 minutes.
Add in all remaining ingredients except for the kale and stir well. Start with 2 1/2 cups of broth and adjust from there.
Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Discard bay leaves then transfer about 2 1/2-3 cups worth of soup to a blender. Blend until smooth.
Transfer back to the pot and stir well to combine. If it’s too thick, add more broth to reach your desired consistency.
Add in chopped kale and let simmer for a few minutes to allow kale to wilt. Taste and adjust flavors as desired.
Serve warm with a rustic bread on the side.
