Foodie Fridays: White Bean and Kale Soup

A couple of weeks ago some friends gave us a gift of vegetables from their impressive garden, as a thank you for providing them with some well-rotted horse manure to enrich said garden (our property has fertilizer in abundance, but no sunny locations large enough to support a decent vegetable garden).  We got leaf lettuce and kale, and I decided to use the latter in a soup.  Our weather is just now starting to get hot, but the mornings and evenings are comfortably cool, so soup is still a meal option.  The recipe I found for White Bean and Kale Soup is simple but oh so very good, and fresh kale is infinitely better than store-bought!

My secret ingredient in this soup was the rind left over from a delightful manchego-type cheese coated in dried rosemary (from La Tienda here).  Rosemary is a great complement to cannellini beans, and the addition of this rind made the soup absolutely delicious.  If you have some Parmesan rind use that instead and perhaps add some dried or fresh rosemary for additional flavor.  Soup season will not last much longer here, but I am glad I got to make this soup with fresh kale and enjoy it while I still had the chance!

White Bean and Kale Soup

2 T. olive oil
1 shallot or small onion, diced
1 C. diced carrots
2 cans (15 oz. each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
4 C. vegetable or chicken broth
2 C. water
4 C. kale, stems removed and torn into 1-inch pieces
salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan or other hard cheese rind (optional)*

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat.  Add the onions and carrots and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Mash one can of beans in a small bowl.  Add the mashed beans, broth, and water to the saucepan.  Bring to a boil.

Stir in the remaining can of beans plus the kale pieces.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Reduce the heat, partially cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the kale is tender.  Add the cheese rind if using and simmer until the rind is soft and disintegrates into the soup.  Season with additional salt and pepper if needed and serve.  Serves 4.