Frugal Fall Recipe: White Bean and Kale Soup

.Guest post by Megan

I LOVE soup! When the weather cools down, I can’t think of anything more comforting than a warm bowl of soup.

I am a Foodgawker fan. Whenever I need inspiration for new meals, I go to my Foodgawker app on my phone and browse the pictures until something catches my eye. (Foodgawker website) This week, the White Bean and Kale soup from The Curvy Carrot stood out. It’s colorful, light, and yummy!

Here are the ingredients you will need:

.1-2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 stalks celery, chopped (I omitted this ingredient from our soup because one of my family members has a mild allergy to celery)

1/2 cup carrots, chopped (about 1-2 medium carrots)

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups water

4 cups vegetable broth

5-6 red potatoes, chopped (leave the skins on)

Two 15-ounce cans cannellini beans (white kidney beans), or 5 cups fresh cooked beans

One large bunch kale

1/4 cup heavy cream, optional

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Heat olive oil over medium heat and cook carrots and onion until softened.

Add the garlic and sautee for about a minute, then remove from heat and set aside. (I used 3 carrots, because we like them a lot and I used 4 cloves of garlic to add more flavor)

Meanwhile, in a large pot, bring vegetable broth and water to a boil.

Chop potatoes into desired size for soup.

TIP: If your broth isn’t boiling by the time you finish chopping your potatoes, you can place them in a bowl of water to keep them from turning brown while you wait. When the broth is boiling, simple remove the potatoes from the water and pat them dry.

Add the cooked vegetables, beans and potatoes to the boiling broth, reduce heat to low-medium and cook for 20-30 minutes until potatoes are done.

Next, add your kale…

Then 1/4 cup of heavy cream (I actually added 1/2 cup to make the soup a little creamier)

Continue cooking for 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently.

Finally, serve your soup with your favorite bread and enjoy. I paired mine with rosemary foccacia bread.

VERDICT: While this soup was delicious, colorful, and healthy, my husband and I both agreed it could use a little more flavor. The Curvy Carrot doesn’t incorporate meat into her recipes. I think this soup’s flavor would be enhanced with either some cooked ground sausage or using some Hillshire Farm smoked sausage cut into half rounds.

I did have plenty of soup leftover to freeze for 2 meals and to keep some for lunch.

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