Tuscan Kale and White Bean Soup

I am feeling leaps and bounds better. I got a great night's sleep on Friday night and woke up Saturday with energy for the first time in a while. It helped that it was GORGEOUS outside. I went for a run in shorts and a tank top because it was in the high 60s! It was lovely. I also cleaned like a madman and now there are clean dishes! So I'm very excited to share with you a lovely soup that I made on a cold and rainy day. And I have a proclamation: I LOVE KALE.

Tuscan Kale and White Bean Soup
from Whole Foods market recipe database
Serves 4

• 2 Tb. olive oil
• 1 cup diced yellow onion (about 1/2 medium)
• 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
• Vegetable broth, 32oz carton
• 4 cups chopped kale (about 1 large bunch)
• Italian-style diced tomatoes, 14.5oz can, with juice*
• Cannellini or Northern beans, 14.5oz can, drained and rinsed (or 1 1/2 cups)
• 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup shredded vegetarian Parmesan
• Croutons or crusty bread, optional

*Trader Joe's didn't have diced tomatoes. They only had a giant can of plum tomatoes and I wasn't about to go anywhere else for them. So, I got it knowing that I had another meal that needed a can of diced tomatoes and I would just split it and dice them myself. Best. decision. ever. The plum tomatoes were so much juicier and more plump than diced tomatoes. I had to dice them myself but that took all of two minutes to do and the extras went in a tupperware container in the fridge to wait for the next meal. Plus, one big can was $1.49 when the individual cans are around the same price. I see a new habit in my future. :)

Heat oil in a large pan. Add onions and cook for about 3 minutes.

Add garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.

I chopped the kale roughly and would go for smaller pieces next time. It was a little difficult to eat with giant pieces of kale on my spoon. :)

Add broth, kale, tomatoes, carrots and red pepper flakes; cover and cook about 5 minutes.

Add beans and heat thoroughly. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crusty bread or croutons on the side. Putting them in the soup makes them soggy very quickly. But putting a crouton on each spoonful before eating adds a wonderful crunch.

Nutritional Information (1/4 soup): 284 calories, 8g fat (1g sat), 33g carbs, 8g fiber, 9g protein

I thought this soup was super yummy. And as I said before, I fell in LOVE with kale. It's excellent. I see kale galore in my future. The croutons helped make it more filling and more like a meal a la Seinfeld.