Winter is coming to New England! I love to make soups for cold days when the chill begins early in the morning and clings to the day. Soups are perfect to freeze for future use. All I add is crusty bread and a salad for a complete meal. I serve salad every day. My salads take greens to a higher level. First, I can go on and on about the fabulous greens that are the base of a salad. I’ll leave that for another post. Then, I add hard-boiled eggs, cheese, tomatoes, and cucumbers for an ordinary dinner salad to accompany the meal. This salad is excellent with soups, stew, and more. Check out my blog post for more salad recipes.

Soups are not only delicious but good for you. I make various vegetarian and vegan soups with beans as a source of protein. You could add cooked sausage or small meatballs for a hearty soup. There are many options to change this soup. Have fun and be creative. 

White Bean Soup with Tomato and Kale

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 large yellow onion, minced

1 1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 Tbsp fresh garlic, crushed

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

2 tsp Penzeys Tuscan Sunset

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme 

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes (I prefer fire-roasted)

 1(15 oz) can diced tomatoes

4 vegetable stock

1/4 cup dry white wine

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 (15 oz) cans cooked cannellini beans

2 cups (loosely packed) kale, torn and discard the stems

      Garnish: grated Parmesan cheese, fresh thyme

Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed stock pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, translucent, and just beginning to brown, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two. Add the butter, and as it melts, stir in the herbs. Let cook for another two minutes or until the onions are lightly golden.

Add the tomatoes, stock, and white wine and stir to combine. Cover and bring the stock to a boil, then turn the heat down to low and let simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add the white beans and torn kale leaves, and continue to simmer until warmed through about 3-5 minutes. Serve warm with crusty bread.

Enjoy!