Recipe: Bean and Kale Soup

One thing the NutriSystem program has taught me is that soup can be a very filling meal, especially if you round it out with a nice crisp salad. As the weather turns cooler, I find myself craving comforting food. But rich and creamy isn't figure friendly. However, I have an amazing soup recipe to share. I made this for dinner tonight and love it! The beans add a comforting richness and the pumpkin just envelopes you in the season.

 

Enjoy!

 

Kale and Bean Soup With Pumpkin

1/2 Tbls. Canola Oil
2 cups cooked white beans
1 Onion or Leek white portion only, chopped
1 Tbls. or 1 cube of frozen pesto
1 clove garlic, minced
2 to 3 cups shredded Kale leaves
1/2 Tbls. curry powder
3 to 4 cups bean liquid or vegetable stock
1/4 tsp. cumin
fresh lemon juice
1 small Pumpkin, peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch chunks (about 2 cups)

Wash kale and strip leaves from stalk. Preserve stalks for your next batch of homemade
stock, stack up leaves then, chop into bite-sized pieces. Heat oil in a large soup pot over
medium heat. Add onions, sauté for about 10 minutes, until softened and translucent. Add
garlic, curry and cumin, cook another 2 minutes. Add cooked beans, pesto, pumpkin, kale and
liquid. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, add salt to taste. Cook about 20 minutes until pumpkin is
tender. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add lemon juice just before serving. Serves 4.

Note: I didn't have pesto or curry powder so I left them out. In their place, I added a teaspoon of grated ginger, basil and oregano, and some black pepper. Also, I used vegetable stock made from the pumpkin and leek scraps, carrot tops, kale ribs, onions, celery, carrots and garlic. Quite tasty and it added complexity to the soup that it would have otherwise missed.