Kale Soup with Beans Vegetables (Printer view)

A nourishing soup featuring kale, carrots, celery, potatoes, and cannellini beans simmered in aromatic vegetable broth with thyme and cumin.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 large onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
04 - 3 medium carrots, diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 1 large potato, peeled and diced
07 - 6 cups fresh kale, stems removed and leaves chopped

→ Legumes

08 - 1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

→ Liquids

09 - 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
10 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

→ Spices and Seasonings

11 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
12 - 0.5 teaspoon ground cumin
13 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
14 - Pinch of red pepper flakes, optional

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté for 3 minutes until translucent.
02 - Stir in minced garlic, diced carrots, diced celery, and diced potato. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
03 - Add chopped kale and sauté for 2 minutes until slightly wilted.
04 - Pour vegetable broth into the pot and add dried thyme, ground cumin, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using.
05 - Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes until vegetables are tender.
06 - Stir in drained cannellini beans and simmer for 5 additional minutes to heat through.
07 - Add fresh lemon juice and adjust seasoning to taste. Serve hot.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • Each spoonful delivers an incredible balance of textures from the tender root vegetables to the silky beans that my friends swear feels like a warm hug from the inside.
  • The prep work might seem like a lot with all the chopping, but I promise the therapeutic rhythm of knife on cutting board becomes the perfect unwinding ritual after a stressful day.
02 -
  • I once rushed the sautéing steps and ended up with a far less flavorful soup, teaching me that those first 10 minutes of cooking the vegetables properly are absolutely critical.
  • Adding the lemon juice at the very end rather than during cooking preserves its bright flavor that would otherwise diminish with prolonged heat.
03 -
  • I discovered that adding the salt only after the vegetables have softened helps them release their natural flavors more effectively than salting at the beginning.
  • Chop the kale into smaller pieces than you think necessary, as even well-cooked large pieces can be awkward to eat from a soup spoon.
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