I bought a rather large bag of pre-washed kale for a pizza I made a few days ago. Sorry – no pictures. I was too hungry to stop and document the process — but it was good: pesto base, carmelized red onions, fresh basil, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and feta cheese…
I didn’t use all of the kale and while wandering through the grocery store, preparing to stock up for the week, I pondered what I could do with my left over leafy greens (or “super lettuce” as my co-worker calls it). I didn’t have any exotic ideas come to mind, but I did fall back on the tried and true even during the “heat” of the summer (which in Portland is shockingly at 78 degrees). Soup. Perhaps the bean and kale thing goes back to the 101cookbooks recipe and Heidi Swanson, but they do go well together.
I had mushrooms leftover from a pasta sauce and bought some other essential ingredients.
1 medium size onion, diced
1 Tbsp minced garlic
8 oz or so of sliced mushrooms
1 cup diced carrots
6 cups of vegetable stock
2-3 cups of diced potatoes
2 cans of cannelini beans, rinsed and drained
3-4 cups of kale
Spices: parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme (like the Simon & Garfunkel say!)
salt & pepper
1. Saute the onions with the garlic in a large soup pot with some olive oil till onions are translucent.
2. Add mushrooms and carrots for 3 to 5 minutes. Add 1 tsp of sea salt, 1 TBsp of each of the spices.
3. Add vegetable stock and potatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer 10 to 15 minutes, covered.
4. Add kale and cook another 3-5 minutes.
5. Ladle, sprinkle on some cheese (feta or parmesan works nicely), and enjoy.