Italian Bean & Kale Soup

Posted byeminate00Posted inSides, WhatsforDinnerTags:, , , , , ,

I’ve been obsessively reading books by Frances Mayes, who wrote the biographical Under a Tuscan Sun, which was made into a movie with Diane Lane (note: the movie is not at all the same as what really happened). Her passion for everything Tuscan, from art to gardening, to cooking, to decorating, has me inspired and I will eventually try all the recipes in her book Everyday Tuscany.

However, this recipe is my own creation. It’s not a Minestrone because it doesn’t have pasta, it’s not Ribollita because it has meat. No matter, it’s inspired by these classic soups found in Rome and Tuscany. Without a doubt this soup must be cooked while listening to La Nostra Favola by Ribelli to get the right flavour.

Ingredients:

  • 4 Tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 4 slices bacon, chopped
  • 1 large sweet onion, diced
  • 1 c carrots, diced
  • 1 medium zucchini, diced
  • 3 stalks celery, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp fresh thyme
  • 1 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 can (796 ml / 28 fl. oz) diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (540 ml / 19 fl. oz) Romano beans
  • 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
  • 6 chicken or vegetable stock
  • 2 c chopped kale
  • toasted baguette
  • parmesan

Directions:

  1. Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil over medium heat in a large stock pot. Add the bacon and cook until nicely browned but not yet crispy.
  2. Drain off the fat, then add the next 2 Tbsp of olive oil back into the pot. Add the chopped onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, garlic and thyme. Cook for 5-10 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
  3. Add the tomato paste, stir, then add the diced tomatoes, Romano beans and Italian seasoning and stock. Bring to a boil.
  4. Reduce the heat to a simmer, add the kale, and simmer for about 30 minutes until the flavours mellow and combine.
  5. Serve with a slice of toasted baguette and fresh parmesan.
Italian Bean & Kale Soup

Nutritional Information*

  • Servings: 8
  • Calories per serving: 163
  • Total Fat: 5.6 g
  • Saturated Fat: 1.1 g
  • Total Carbohydrates: 20.5 g
  • Dietary Fiber: 5.6 g
  • Sugar: 5.4 g
  • Protein: 7.9 g

*Nutritional Information estimated using MyFitnessPal

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