Kale and white bean soul soup

When I have an overwhelming feeling of dread or inescapable fear of the unknown I make this pottage like soup with kale, white beans and vegetables. It’s a hearty, nourishing soup for the soul. The recipe never fails me even though everything else around me could me crashing and burning. 

You start with a mirepoix mix and then comes the kale. The slightly bitter edge to kale might repulse some and the best way to enjoy this dark green splendor of the leafy vegetable world is to subjugate it with acid. Ms Butterfish makes a delightful kale slaw where she shows no mercy as she macerates the kale with lemon and orange juice. I sauté it with olive oil and a liberal quantity of sherry vinegar before it enters the bubbling pot. 

I am easy with the garlic too and the maximum flavor is extracted by muscling the pods through a garlic press. At the risk of sounding like a 50’s housewife with a pink, floral and lacy apron I have to talk about my new garlic press. It has a nifty blue colored attachment that fits perfectly into the miniature holes which are otherwise impossible to clean. 

I used Yukon gold potatoes which, with all the rounds of boiling and simmering are deconstructed and melt into the soup to add to the rustic pottage like consistency.

The broth you choose is probably the single most important decision you will make in your kitchen life. You might think less about whom you marry! I have tested many and have authoritatively and rightfully picked Imagine vegetable and chicken broth. It has the perfect ratio of salt  to flavor and the ratio of depth to playing supportive role instead of overwhelming the soup. Swanson’s broth is meek and lacking in boldness and depth. Pacific tries to be everything but a humble a broth enhancing the other players. Trader Joe’s does a reasonably good job but somehow falls short of consistency and depth. 

Now after that treatise on broths we move to the beans. Any white beans will do, cannelloni, navy, butter or double beans. Take your pick and have fun with the different permutations and combinations of two or more beans. 

The coup de grace is cubed juicy pieces of preserved lemon added  before the last round of boiling. 

After about an hour of dicing,crushing , sautéing and simmering, the heavenly bowl of slurp worthy soup is ready. I sink a steamed rice cake or idlli in the center before dipping my cavernous spoon in the bowl. Mr Sweet Potato drops slices of savory rice crepes or dosas to perfect his bowl of soul soup.

Bon Apetit!

2 bunches of Italian kale, 6 medium sized potatoes, a bunch of carrots, 4-5 stalks of celery and 1 white onion 

2 cans of cannelloni beans and 1 can of navy beans

Preserved lemon and 10-15 pods of garlic

3  cans of Imagine vegetable broth, each can has about a lit of broth 

Sherry vinegar

Half cup of sherry vinegar and 2-3  cups of olive oil 

Dice and saute onion, carrots and celery

Add the cut potatoes and saute 

Squeeze the garlic through a garlic press

This a nifty one which is easy to clean

Viola!

Add the crushed garlic to the pan and mix

Heat 3 cans of broth in a large pot

Add the sauteed vegetables and garlic to the bubbling broth 

Chop and saute the kale

Add half cup sherry vinegar and cook for 3-4 min 

Add the slightly cooked and vinegar-ed kale to the pot with broth and vegetables

Let it simmer covered for 15-20 min 

Then add the white beans 

In goes 2- 3 cups of olive oil next and simmer for 10-15 min
With frequent stirring 

2 large pieces of preserved lemon 

Are finely chopped 

And into the bubbling pot.
Cook  for 10 more min and mix well through all the simmering 

Warm, hearty, tangy and soul nourishing soup. Bon Apetit!