Carrie Cheng | Vegetarian Bean + Kale Soup
Vegetarian Bean + Kale Soup
This is one of my favorite things to eat as it just FEELS good, TASTES good and does so much good for my mind and body. You can use just about any type of white bean (like Northern Beans), lentils or black eyed peas. Canned (rinsed) or dried beans (cooked) can be used. I always use about half a bag of pre-shredded carrots. They come organic from various grocery stores and are the biggest time saver. For the Vegetable Stock I used Penzey Spices Vegetable Soup Base. It is sort of amazing and the key ingredient in all my soups. I also have started added in Organic Apple Cider Vinegar for a little tang, but mostly for its health benefits. To make the soup more hearty you can always add a meat or bacon at the end, pre cooked. Celery is also always a yummy addition. For sick days, some cooked rice goes amazingly well too.
Ingredients
One large yellow onion (chopped into slices and quartered)
1/2 bag of pre-shredded carrots
1/4 to 1/2 cup pressed fresh garlic
One bunch of Kale
Two cups of dried beans or two cans of beans (white beans, lentils, or black eyed peas work best)
Parmesen rind (optional)
Parmesen (optional)
1 oz. Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (optional)
Olive Oil
1 tsp Thyme
2 tsp White Pepper
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Salt
4 Bay Leaves
2 tbsp Vegetable Bouillon or Vegetable Stock
Add in the spices and bouillon together and stir thoroughly. I add my bouillon at this point as it is MUCH easier to break it up WITHOUT water and I feel like the flavor gets in the vegetable more this way. Cook for 2 minutes on medium-high, stirring frequently.
Add in enough water to cover the vegetables. Add in the Parmesen rind (it's the vegetarian soup bone). If you don't have a a rind, you can put in a half cup or so of shredded parmesan or skip it all together. Add in the beans. If you need to add more water or stock, do this now and bring to a full boil. Throw in the Apple Cider Vinegar now too. Let everything cook together for 5 minutes.
