Smoky Kale and White Bean Soup

• Meat

  • 6 slices Bacon

• Produce

  • 6 stalks Celery
  • 2 Chipotle peppers, dried
  • 6 cloves Garlic
  • 1 Garlic powder
  • 4 cups Kale
  • 3 cups Navy beans, cooked white
  • 2 tsp Rosemary, dried
  • 1 28-ounce can Tomatoes
  • 2 Twigs of thyme, large
  • 2 Yellow onions, medium

• Canned Goods

  • 4 cups Vegetable broth

• Condiments

  • 1/4 cup Harissa

• Baking & Spices

  • 1/2 tsp Pepper, ground
  • 1 tsp Salt

• Oils & Vinegars

  • 1 Olive oil

• Bread & Baked Goods

  • 1 Bread, Day-old (or fresh

• Dairy

  • 1 Parmesan cheese

• Beer, Wine & Liquor

  • 2 cups White wine

Found on thewimpyvegetarian.com

Description

Ingredients

• 6 slices bacon, cut into lardons (optional)
• 2 medium yellow onions, diced
• 6 stalks celery, sliced horizontally
• 6 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
• 2 large twigs of thyme
• 2 dried chipotle peppers (optional)
• 2 cups white wine
• ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) harissa (or make your own!)
• 3 cups cooked white navy beans (with 1 cup of cooking liquid)
• 4 cups vegetable broth (including the reserved 1 cup of cooking liquid from the beans)
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes (I only use San Marzano tomatoes in a can - its worth the extra money IMHO)
• 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper (or to taste)
• 4 - 6 cups kale, deveined, and sliced in thick slices (I use Dinosaur / Lacinato kale for this soup)
• Parmesan cheese
• Day-old (or fresh) bread for croutons
• Olive oil
• garlic powder

Directions

• Add the bacon lardons to a large soup pot over medium heat, and sauté until crispy.
• Add the diced onion and celery slices, and sauté until just tender. Add the garlic, dried rosemary, and fresh thyme and continue to sauté for an additional two minutes.
• Add the dried chipotle peppers and wine, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add the harissa (a spicy Moroccan condiment available in most specialty stores), the cooked beans, broth, and diced tomatoes, and simmer for 2 hours at a low simmer. This concentrates the flavors beautifully.
• Season with salt and pepper, and add the kale just before serving. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
• Serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and a handful of garlic croutons.
• To make the garlic croutons, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Slice up day-old or fresh bread into cubes. Toss in olive oil and garlic powder - enough to lightly coat them, and bake for 10 minutes or until lightly crisped. The croutons can be stored in a plastic bag for one week in the refrigerator, or frozen for two months in the freezer.