I made this soup the other day, slightly modified from a great cookbook I had out of the library called Spilling the Beans. First time I had eaten kale, I think. It was terrific and felt so darn healthy! I'm sure you could use any kind of small white bean, but I just happened to have white kidney beans in the pantry. The kids, of course, could hardly bear to even look at it, let alone taste it, so I made them some chicken noodle soup at the same time as I was making this one.
a drizzle of olive oil
1 finely chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, crushed
19 oz can crushed tomatoes
about 4 cups chicken broth (I use the ready to use stuff in the UHT cartons)
1 19 oz can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 bunch kale, washed and thinly sliced (discard the ribs)
salt and pepper to taste
Saute the onion for about five minutes in the olive oil, until soft. Add the garlic and saute for another minute. Add tomatoes, stock and beans and bring up to a simmer. Add kale and cook for a couple of minutes until the kale wilts. Serve with parmesan cheese. A little sprinkled over the top tastes great.
