{"id":4089,"date":"2011-01-03T12:07:29","date_gmt":"2011-01-03T19:07:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/?p=4089"},"modified":"2011-01-03T18:16:15","modified_gmt":"2011-01-04T01:16:15","slug":"white-bean-and-kale-soup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/white-bean-and-kale-soup\/","title":{"rendered":"Soup for body and soul"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

After all the excess of the holidays, nothing appeals to me more than a simple soup to warm the body and soothe the soul.<\/p>\n

I crave comforting texture, wholesome ingredients, and straightforward flavors.\u00a0 This white bean and kale soup has it all.<\/p>\n

The recipe is based on all my favorite elements of rustic Italian soups, beginning with fat white cannelini beans for their mild taste and creamy texture.\u00a0 Navy or Great Northern beans will work, too, but I’m especially fond of cannelini, which are easy to find now at many supermarkets.\u00a0 They cook up beautifully, hold their shape and serve as a satisfying backdrop for the assertive kale.<\/p>\n

Don’t be tempted to substitute canned beans here.\u00a0 The dried beans create the creamy broth as they cook with a flavor base of aromatic vegetables, rosemary.\u00a0 I also throw in a chunk of Parmesan rind from the supply I save in the freezer for just this purpose, but it’s not essential.<\/p>\n

Cooking the beans from scratch isn’t difficult.\u00a0 It just takes a little more planning and time.<\/p>\n

This is slow food suited to a cozy winter weekend.\u00a0 It’s the perfect antidote to the hectic holiday season.<\/p>\n

WHITE BEAN AND KALE SOUP RECIPE<\/strong>
\nServes 6
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

1 pound cannelini or other large white beans
\n5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided use, plus more for drizzling
\n4\u00a0 garlic cloves
\n\u00bd\u00a0 medium yellow onion
\n1 celery stalk
\n1 carrot
\n1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
\nParmesan rind (optional)
\n4 slices uncured bacon
\n1 bunch kale
\n6 thick slices rustic bread
\nSalt and pepper to taste
\n\u00bc teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste
\nGrated Parmesan<\/p>\n

Rinse and pick over beans.\u00a0 Place in a large, heavy bottomed soup pot, cover with water and let them soak overnight.\u00a0 The next day, mince the garlic, onions, celery, and carrot. Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skillet and saute the minced vegetables over medium heat until they begin to soften but have not browned. Add the vegetable mixture, rosemary and Parmesan rind to the soaked beans, increasing water to cover beans by about an inch.\u00a0 Bring to a boil for 5 minutes, reduce heat and simmer, covered for 1 to 1\u00bd hours, until beans are tender. Add more water during the course of cooking, if necessary, to keep the beans submerged.<\/p>\n

While beans are cooking, preheat oven to 350 degrees.\u00a0 Remove crusts from bread and tear it roughly into small chunks for croutons. Toss in a medium bowl while drizzling with with 2 tablespoons olive oil to distribute oil evenly.\u00a0 Spread out on baking sheet in a single layer, season with salt and pepper to taste, and toast until golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes.\u00a0 Set aside and let cool.<\/p>\n

Wash kale in cool water, drain, and dry on a clean kitchen towel or in a spin dryer.\u00a0 Strip leaves from stems and cut crosswise into 1-inch ribbons.\u00a0 Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat\u00a0 and fry bacon until it begins to brown and crisp.\u00a0 Add kale and toss. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally until the greens begin to wilt.<\/p>\n

When beans are tender, remove the cheese rind.\u00a0 Scoop out about 3 cups of the beans and their liquid and puree in a blender or food processor.\u00a0 Return pureed beans to pot.\u00a0 Add kale and bacon mixture, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper and cook over low heat for 15-20 minutes.\u00a0 Add more water, if necessary, to achieve the consistency you prefer.<\/p>\n

Ladle soup into bowls, top with toasted croutons and drizzle with olive oil.\u00a0 Pass grated Parmesan for diners to sprinkle over the soup as desired.<\/p>\n

Aleta Watson<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After all the excess of the holidays, nothing appeals to me more than a simple soup to warm the body and soothe the soul. I crave comforting texture, wholesome ingredients, and straightforward flavors.\u00a0 This white bean and kale soup has it all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4089","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4089","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4089"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4089\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4111,"href":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4089\/revisions\/4111"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4089"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4089"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.skilletchronicles.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4089"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}