Sunday, September 12, 2010

Driven by Kale



For me it’s often one ingredient that compels me to find a recipe.  This week it’s the curly-leafed kale we got in our CSA share.  I’ve made kale in a lot of ways that I liked and some I wasn’t quite so fond of, but I cast my lot with Google in my recipe search.
Many of the recipes seemed to pair kale with cannellini beans, those white beans that make one think of a warm, Italian kitchen.  When I went to Whole Foods last night in search of the other ingredients for the recipe I had decided on, I could find only cans of cannellini beans.  But then I spied a package of white kidney beans that looked quite similar and hoped they would work.  (A Google search back home confirmed that cannellini beans are indeed also called white kidney beans.)  For some reason I prefer to soak my beans overnight and cook them myself instead of opening a can.
Here’s the recipe I’ve chosen, already deciding to add to it a couple of chopped carrots, a few tiny red peppers (the hot ones), and the sausage and pepperoni from last night’s leftover pizza slices (realizing it can no longer be called vegetarian!):
Vegetarian Kale Soup  
Ingredients
  1. 2 tablespoons olive oil
  2. 1 yellow onion, chopped
  3. 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
  4. 1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves chopped
  5. 8 cups water
  6. 6 cubes vegetable bouillon (such as Knorr)
  7. 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
  8. 6 white potatoes, peeled and cubed
  9. 2 (15 ounce) cans cannellini beans (drained if desired)
  10. 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  11. 2 tablespoons dried parsley
  12. salt and pepper to taste
Directions
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot; cook the onion and garlic until soft. Stir in the kale and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in the water, vegetable bouillon, tomatoes, potatoes, beans, Italian seasoning, and parsley. Simmer soup on medium heat for 25 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
I will post a picture after I make it!

6 Comments:

Blogger Kristin said...

I sure do like kale in my soup on an autumn day. I like it roasted, too. Good stuff.

4:44 PM  
Blogger Gary said...

Yum! Yum! It must smell good at your house. A deliciously perfect rainy day activity.

4:49 PM  
Blogger Barbara said...

Kristin, Gary -- It does look and smell very good. I am always amazed at how much green vegetables like kale shrink when cooked!

6:45 PM  
Blogger Cyndy said...

Yum, that looks goood!

7:02 PM  
Blogger Pauline said...

That and a hunk of homemade bread and I may have to invite myself to your house for lunch! I like your inventive streak when it comes to using food.

8:52 AM  
Blogger Barbara said...

Pauline -- Come on over for lunch today. There's plenty left!

9:00 AM  

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