Kale and Beans - A winning Combo!
Did you know that kale is one of the most searched foods on the food network website? That’s great news since kale is a nutrition powerhouse. A member of the cabbage (cruciferous) family, kale is an excellent source of vitamins A, C, K and potassium. It’s also a good source of calcium, iron, folate, magnesium and lutein. It’s very low in calories – only 33 calories per cup.
According to David Grotto, RD, LDN, in his book, The Best Things You Can Eat, kale is one of the best. Kale is good eaten raw, cooked or juiced. Grotto reports that a study of men with high cholesterol who drank a little over a ½ cup of kale juice daily for 3 months saw their HDL (good) cholesterol significantly increase and their LDL (bad) cholesterol decrease. Also, high intakes of cruciferous vegetables may lead to reduced risk of developing breast, prostate, lung, esophagus and mouth cancers. And adding greens daily helps prevent dementia, according to RDNs, Sue Linga and See Anne Safie-Wait
Beans are also nutrition powerhouses. They are high in protein, potassium, magnesium and folate. They are one of the best sources of fiber and help to promote regularity, reduce cholesterol and decrease the risk of certain types of cancer.
Since I love both kale and beans, I looked up several different kale and white bean soup recipes and combined the ingredients I liked best to make this soup. It was a winner with everyone in my house.
Kale and White Bean Soup
Ingredients
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 cup grated parmesan, plus 1 small piece rind, if available
1/4 cup small pasta (pastina) – I used stars
2 15-ounce can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 bunch of fresh kale (about ½-1 lb), broken into 2-inch pieces (stem removed)
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Heat olive oil in soup pot and add onion and celery and cook until soft, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook until soft. Add chicken broth, pastina, beans, rosemary and parmesan rind. Increase the heat, cover and bring to a boil, then uncover and lower heat to a simmer for about 5-10 minutes until all is soft. Remove the parmesan rind and stir in ½ of the grated cheese and season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and top with the remaining cheese.
I served this with crusty artisan bread that was sliced, lightly baked with olive oil, garlic and herbs and a tossed salad. Enjoy! Do you have a favorite kale soup recipe?
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Wishing you a happy and healthy 2025!
