Kale and White Bean Soup

This soup is absolutely delicious.  My whole family loved it (hubby, 9 year old and 12 year old).  If you are looking for a new soup to try for the cool weather that is coming this fall, this is the one!  I follow a lot of blogs.  One that has really good healthy recipes is the Nourished Kitchen.  That is where I got the recipe for this soup:  The Nourished Kitchen.

I did make a few modifications, but nothing major.  I'll put my adaptations in red.  Don't ever feel you can't make something because you don't have all of the ingredients or don't like something.  Just adapt it to your liking.

Kale and White Bean Soup

• 2 cups white beans (such as cannellini beans) (I used canned, organic and rinsed them well)
  
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda (did not need since I used canned beans)
• 1 tablespoon butter or ghee (did not need since I used canned beans)
• 4 ounces bacon (chopped) (I use Hormel 100% Natural with no nitrates or preservatives)
• 1 medium yellow onion (finely chopped) (I only had red onion)
• 2 medium carrots (peeled and finely chopped)
• 3 ribs celery (finely chopped)  (I used 2)
• 8 cups chicken stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 branch rosemary
• rind of a hunk of parmesan cheese (optional) (I used this)
• 1/2 teaspoon piment d'Esplette (or paprika) (I used smoked paprika from Trader Joe's)
• 1 bunch kale (trimmed of tough stems and sliced thin) (I used 2 cups organic chopped kale)
• extra virgin olive oil (to serve) (didn't add this, added fresh grated parmesan on top)

Instructions  I skipped 1-2 since I used canned

1. Toss the beans in a large mixing bowl, cover with hot water by 2 inches and stir in baking soda. Soak for 18 to 24 hours, changing the water once or twice. Drain and rinse well.
2. Transfer the soaked beans into a large stock pot, cover with water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until beans are tender - about 1 1/2 hours. Drain.
3. Melt butter in a large stock pot until it froths. Stir in bacon and cook until crispy. Stir in onion, carrots, celery and garlic. I added 3 cloves of garlic since it didn't really say how much to add.  Stir frequently, and fry until fragrant - about 10 minutes.
4. Pour in chicken stock, add rosemary, bay and the rind of a piece of parmesan cheese. Simmer over medium heat, covered, for 20 to 30 minutes.
5. Remove from heat, stir in piment d'Esplette I used smoked paprika, beans and kale. Cover and allow the kale to wilt in the residual heat of the soup for about 5 minutes. Salt as needed and serve with extra virgin olive oil.

LOVED this recipe.  Enjoy it!!!