Ingredients

• 2 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 bunch lacinato kale, chopped
• 1 can garbanzo beans
• 1 can cannellini beans
• 32-oz vegetable broth
• 1 tsp fennel seed
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 small Parmesan cheese rind (optional)

Directions

• Sauté onions in olive oil until lightly caramelized. Add garlic and stir until softened (about 1 minute).
• Add the beans, broth, seasonings and Parmesan cheese rind (if using) and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Add the chopped kale and simmer for another 5 minutes.
• Serve with brown (or white) rice or farro.

Cooking tips

• Remove center stalks from the kale leaves, if desired. Other greens – spinach, escarole, chard –also work.
• Add a third can of beans if you prefer a less brothy soup. You can also mix or match any white beans, e.g., garbanzo, cannellini, navy, Great Northern or white kidney beans.
• Often, I add thinly sliced carrots, celery or freshly diced fennel to the onions as they just begin to caramelize, stirring until almost softened.
• I also add leftover cooked or raw vegetables (e.g., green beans, zucchini or cherry tomatoes) work great, too.
• Instead of, or in addition to, the Parmesan rind, I’ll add ¼ cup of nutritional yeast to the finished soup.
• If I have white miso on hand, I stir in a tablespoon after the soup is done cooking but still hot (heat dulls its delicate flavor and probiotics). You can also dissolve the miso in a small bowl of hot broth until smooth, then add it back to the pot.
• Substitute the thyme / fennel / rosemary trio with 1 tablespoon (or to taste) Italian seasoning.
• Meat eaters can sub in chicken broth for the veggie broth and add chicken or Italian sausage. I sometimes use baked and cubed tofu instead.