Cannellini and Kale Soup

My mom brought this recipe down with her from Michigan.  The original is from Martha Stewart Living.  I love soup so I made a double batch with stocking the freezer in mind. 

The original recipe called for water but I made the soup with homemade chicken stock.  If you wanted to keep it vegetarian, veggie stock would work as well.  I also used canned beans as opposed to dried beans due to time constraints.  Assume 1/2 cup dried beans equals 1 15.5 oz. can of beans.  Therefore, you will use 4 cans for a single batch.   It may seem like a lot, but that amount of beans is essential to the soup having the creamy luxurious texture.  Its definitely more cost effective to use dried beans...you just have to plan a little bit better than I did!

I also swapped in some turkey bacon for the fried garlic in the original recipe.  I had some on hand and bacon is always a good idea, even if it is turkey bacon.  I think the soup definitely needs some sort of crunchy element to it, whether its bacon crumbles, croutons, or fried garlic :)

Needless to say, I thought it turned out deliciously.  And it's a great way to get a creamy texture without any dairy!  Yay healthy fiber!

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• Scant 1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
• 12 ounces cannellini beans (2 cups), picked through and soaked overnight (or 4 cans of beans)
• 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 8 ounces kale, stems and center ribs removed, leaves sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick 
• 6 slices turkey or regular bacon (optional)
• croutons (optional)

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium Dutch oven or a large pot over medium heat. Cook onions and carrot until just softened, about 5 minutes. Season with 2 1/2 teaspoons salt. Stir in minced garlic, thyme, and red-pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Working in batches, puree soup in a blender until smooth, transferring it to a clean pot as you work. (For safety, remove cap from hole in lid, and cover with a dish towel to prevent spattering.  Bring soup to a simmer. Stir in kale and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Simmer until kale is tender, about 15 minutes.  Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.  Cook bacon or toast croutons, depending on your desired garnish.  Sprinkle garnish onto dished-out bowls of soup.