January 17, 2012

Tasty Tuesday - Kale and Bean Soup


Before I get to the yummy soup recipe, I wanted to show you a shirt I bought over Christmas.  I don't know if any of you heard about this or not, but there is a guy in Vermont who has been making "Eat More Kale" shirts for years.  You can read about his business HERE, but here's just a little blurb from his website about what he's all about:
I'm also about eating locally, supporting local farmers, bakers, famers markets, farm stands, CSA's, community gardens and restaurants, sustainable lifestyles, social commentary and community. Most importantly, I'm about printin' Vermont's one-at-a-time orginial design t-shirts. Have fun and remember: eat more kale!!!
 Recently, Chick-fil-A threatened to shut down his business because they felt it was too close to their "Eat Mor Chikin" phrase.  RIDICULOUS!!  So, I decided to buy a shirt 1) to support his business, 2) to help him fight Chick-fil-A and 3) because I LOVE kale! :)  

If you're not eating kale yet, you should be!  Here are just some of kale's wonderful benefits from webmd:

Kale is a Nutritional Powerhouse

One cup of kale contains 36 calories, 5 grams of fiber, and 15% of the daily requirement of calcium and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), 40% of magnesium, 180% of vitamin A, 200% of vitamin C, and 1,020% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus.
Kale’s health benefits are primarily linked to the high concentration and excellent source of antioxidant vitamins A, C, and K -- and sulphur-containing phytonutrients.
Carotenoids and flavonoids are the specific types of antioxidants associated with many of the anti-cancer health benefits. Kale is also rich in the eye-health promoting lutein and zeaxanthin compounds.
Beyond antioxidants, the fiber content of cruciferous kale binds bile acids and helps lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease, especially when kale is cooked instead of raw.
So...EAT MORE KALE!  :)


Kale and Bean Soup
This soup is SUPER easy to make because it does not require a lot of ingredients.  It is really yummy and is the perfect soup for a cold winter's night.  It can also be frozen and reheated for future meals! Plus, if you're looking for ways to make a good homemade meal on the cheap, like Jason has been doing in his $50/wk challenge, this soup is under $2/person!  Woohoo!!  :)

Ingredients:
Makes 8 servings

*  1/4C water
*  7-8 garlic cloves, minced
*  1 medium onion, chopped
*  4C kale, stems removed and chopped
*  4C vegetable broth
*  2 (15oz) cans Great Northern beans (or any white bean such as Cannellini or navy) undrained
*  2tsp dried italian seasoning (or, make your own with 1/2tsp. oregano, marjoram, basil and 1/4tsp. sage)
*  salt and pepper to taste


Directions:
1.  Wash and chop the kale and onion.
* Note:  If you've never cooked with kale before, here are some easy prep tips:
A)  Remove the stems by pulling the kale away from the stem.  
B)  Place all the kale "strips" in a pile and chop them up into bite sized pieces!  


2.  In a large pot, heat the water over medium heat.
3.  Add the onion and garlic, and saute until soft ~5-8minutes.
3.  Add the kale and saute, stirring frequently, until wilted ~3-5minutes
4.  Add the broth, beans, and herbs and simmer for 15-20minutes.  EASY PEASY!!!
5.  Ladle into bowls and enjoy! :)

** Note:  we ate them with Maple Cornmeal biscuits from the Happy Herbivore cookbook!  You can find the recipe on her website HERE.  They are sooo good and have a slight sweetness that makes them good for dipping in soups or for breakfast with some jelly! :)

11 comments:

Laima said...

Soup looks delicious - and the cornmeal biscuits may be the key to getting the kiddos to eat the soup:)

J. L. said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
J. L. said...

So funny. Last night we were talking about the controversy with Chick-fil-A. But nobody knew the specifics. And today while looking at what to make for dinner, I said "I have to use this kale and I don't want to make kale chips." So, finding a Kale recipe was on my to-do list. Blogs answered all my daily questions...now if they could just help me clean me kitchen! Great post, and I think I'm gonna have to get me one of those shirts!

JC said...

mmm I'm going to try that recipe! LOVE Kale!

CautiouslyAudacious said...

I'm gonna try this one for sure! I've been getting a weekly organic delivery of local produce that almost always includes Kale so I have to get creative!!

Unknown said...

I have never tried Kale, but you are inspiring me! :)

Unknown said...

love kale and will def try this recipe-
my fav way to make it is a little olive oil, add some garlic and crushed red peppers, add the kale and a couple splashes of red wine vinegar and let it cook down. YUMMMMM

I see those stickers all over Maine now I know why-I'll support his cause too! THanks for sharing

Ironman By Thirty said...

So this is what we should have been doing with all the kale we were getting from our CSA last year... it would have been nice if we got more than just kale some weeks though (the CSA is no longer in business)

Awesome shirt!

J. L. said...

Thanks!!! Made the soup tonight. And family loved it! I might link this recipe on my blog, of that's ok. I was intimidated by kale for some reason. Not anymore.

track coach and adorable wife said...

I'm not usually a huge soup person, but that looks really good!

Unknown said...

I totally want that shirt!!! love kale, and this soup sounds absolutely amazing :)