Last week I decided to change up my usual soup routine and come up with a nutrient-packed, low-calorie soup recipe that I can make over and over again and love every time.
Well . . . mission accomplished!
This Tuscan bean and kale soup is a delicious combination of cannellini beans, kale, sun-dried tomatoes, carrots, onions, celery, and a blend of flavorful herbs. And like most soup recipes, it’s easy to make and tastes great as leftovers!
This Tuscan bean and kale soup is best if you allow the broth plenty of time to simmer so the flavors of the chopped vegetables, garlic, and herbs have plenty of time to diffuse and deepen the flavor of the broth. I actually allowed my broth to simmer while I ran to the grocery store to buy two cans of beans. :-/
- ½ yellow onion, chopped
- 1 t. minced garlic
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes (NOT packed in oil), chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or water
- 1-2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 t. herbs de Provence
- 2 cans white beans, drained
- ½ bunch of kale, ribs removed, chopped
- Black pepper and salt to taste
- In about ¼ to ½ inch of water in a large soup pot, saute the onion, garlic, carrot, and celery over medium heat until soft, 5-7 minutes.
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes, bay leaf, and red pepper, and stir about 30 seconds. Pour in the broth or water and add the rosemary sprigs and herbs de Provence. Cover pot and simmer at least 20 minutes.
- Stir in the kale and white beans, allowing the kale to wilt in the hot broth. Add black pepper and salt to taste.
- Serve with a hearty bread or side salad. Enjoy!
This is a great recipe for those of us who are trying to lose weight because it is oil-free, nutrient-packed, and filling. Just don’t eat it with bread and a slice of nondairy Chao cheese (my new obsession!) like I did!
After serving this for dinner, I ate this soup for lunch every day the rest of last week. Even my toddler ate it!
I’m adding this recipe to my regular soup rotation!
For other great bean soup recipes, check out my Simple Black Bean Soup or my favorite Weekend Chili!
Kale is hit or miss for me. I feel like in order for me to be able to eat it, it has to be mixed in with something really good. i’ll give this a shot.