Lemony Kale and White Bean Soup

Last Year's Post: Italian Tuna
Two Years Ago:   Grilled Hawaiian Filipino Adobo Pork

This is a wonderfully comforting soup with the touch of lemon, rich chicken broth, and creamy beans, plus it's incredibly good for you.  For some reason I think white beans are very soothing, maybe because they're so creamy.  Anyway, this would be a great dinner to have during a particularly stressful week because it's light, healthy, warm and comforting all at the same time.  Make it in advance and all you have to do is reheat it on your worst day.  And because the soup is relatively light, it makes a nice transition into fall without going all the way to a big bowl of chili.

The chicken broth plays an important role her so use the best quality that you can find, or make your own.  I did that recently and it was actually a fun project plus I have containers sitting in my freezer just ready for the next recipe. Click here if you're interested.

If you don't want to make your own broth, be sure to use a low sodium variety.  One of the main reasons to make your own soup is to control the sodium.  Prepared soups (whether canned, from the deli or in a restaurant) have unbelievable amounts of sodium - check it out next time.  I love Panera soups, for example, but a bowl of their soup can have as much sodium as you should consume in a day, if not more.  I didn't list the amount of salt to add to the soup because it all depends on the sodium level in your chicken broth - start with a small amount and taste as you go.  You can always add more at the table.

Serve the soup with some crusty bread for a very satisfying meal.

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Lemony Kale and White Bean Soup

Serves 4-6

Note: There are no amounts given for salt and pepper because it really depends on the chicken stock you use.  I used zero-sodium chicken stock and add ½ teaspoon of both salt and pepper while cooking and it still needed more salt at the table.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large stalk of celery, diced

1 carrot, peeled and diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 shallot, diced

1/8 cup dry sherry

6 cups good quality low-sodium chicken stock

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper

1 bunch Tuscan (Lacinato) kale, stemmed, washed and chopped

2 (15 oz) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (or 8 oz dried white beans, cooked and drained)

Zest of 1/2 lemon

Juice of 1 lemon

In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the celery, carrots, garlic and shallots and sauté until just tender, 5-8 minutes.  Deglaze with the sherry, then add the stock, bay leaf and thyme.  Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 minutes.    Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.

Remove the thyme and bay leaves, then add the kale and simmer for an additional 8 minutes. Add the beans and lemon zest and juice and cook, stirring, for 5 more minutes to make sure everything is hot.  Taste and adjust seasonings again if needed.  Serve hot.

Spiced Carrot Soup (Hot or Cold)

Last Year's Post:  Baked Falafel
Two Years Ago:   Tomato, Watermelon and Basil Skewers

I knew that The Lawyer and I had gone over to the dark side when all we could talk about last week when we were on vacation (and stuffing ourselves with all manner of deliciousness) was coming home and making a healthy cold vegetable soup for dinner.  Say what?  I know, that's really sick.  It's kind of like every time I go to Las Vegas all I want to do when I get home is exercise and eat vegetables.  I guess it's good news that we actually start to crave healthy food while we're consuming the bad stuff, but still.

So why a cold soup in particular?  We've been trying to eat more vegetarian meals as part of a healthy diet, for starters.  One of my challenges to myself was to find more ways to accomplish that without having a salad every day for the rest of our lives.  Living in the Southwest where the temperatures are at or above 100 degrees for most of the summer, I decided to explore the world of cold soups.  When I lived in the Midwest cold soups never really appealed to me, but all of a sudden they make more sense.  And when you're trying to eat light and healthy or maybe lose a few pounds, soup makes a perfect dinner with some crusty bread on the side, hot or cold.

We all know carrots are really good for you, but what I particularly like about this recipe is that the Indian spices add depth and sharpness to what could otherwise be a pretty sweet flavor profile, and the seeds and radish add a nice crunch.  When I first tasted the hot soup there was a definite kick from the cayenne, but when it was cold the heat was much less.   My recommendation would be to make it as written and then taste and adjust the heat level to your own liking.  If it's too spicy, add a dollop of plain yogurt to tone it down when you serve it.  Or if you want more heat, add a little minced jalapeno to the seed topping.

Nobody needs heavy food in the summer.  This is a perfect light, delicious and nutritious meal for the hottest summer nights.

Update:  we had leftover soup for lunch the next day and experimented with sprinkling it with za'atar spice blend instead of the seeds to give it a smoky Middle Eastern profile rather than Indian spices.  Success!  I think it would be good with any spice or seed blend of your preference - BBQ, southwestern, Middle Eastern, whatever.  Have fun and experiment.

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Spiced Carrot Soup (Hot or Cold)

Serves 4-6

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon chopped ginger

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon turmeric

½ teaspoon toasted and ground coriander

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

Salt

2 pounds young carrots, peeled and cut into 1” pieces

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 radishes, minced (for garnish)

Cilantro leaves (for garnish)

Lime wedges, for serving

Plain Greek yogurt, for serving (optional)

Put a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil.  When oil is hot, add onions and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, or until onions are lightly browned.  Add ginger, garlic, turmeric, coriander and cayenne and cook for one minute more, until fragrant.  Season generously with salt.

Add carrots and 8 cups water.  Raise the heat and bring to a brisk simmer, then put on the lid and turn heat to low.  Cook until carrots are tender, about 15 minutes.  Remove from stove and let cool slightly.

Note:  if you plan to serve the soup cold, you can let it cool partially or completely at this point before pureeing and placing in the refrigerator, covered. Proceed with the remaining directions before serving.

Puree in a blender in batches or use an immersion blender to puree in the pot.  Thin with water if necessary; the soup should not be too thick.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a small pan over medium heat.  When hot, add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds and cook for one minute, until spices are fragrant and beginning to pop.  Set aside.

Taste the soup and adjust for salt.  Ladle the soup into shallow bowls and garnish with the vegetable oil/seed mixture, minced radishes, cilantro leaves and an optional dollop of yogurt.  Serve with lime wedges for squeezing at the table.