Description
White bean kale soup with bacon is hearty and comforting and pretty good for you. Even if it has a touch of bacon!
Ingredients
1 lb of dried white beans
3 thick slices of bacon
2 c chopped onion
1/3 c chopped celery
1/3 c chopped carrots
2 T chopped parsley
5 chopped garlic cloves
1 t dried sage
1 bay leaf
8 c chicken broth (I use Better than Bouilion)
1 bunch of chopped kale (If the inner rib is tough, remove it)
6 chopped sage leaves
Salt and Fresh Pepper
Instructions
Rinse beans and in a big pot cover with 8 c water. Bring to a boil. Cover and remove from heat. Let sit for an hour.
While beans are soaking, chop bacon into big bites. Fry in a big soup pot. (I use my Dutch oven) Remove when good and crisp. Set aside.
Throw in the onion, carrots and celery. Saute until soft. Add parsley and garlic and cook for about one minute. Set aside until beans are ready.
After beans have soaked, rinse them and add beans to Dutch oven.
Add dried sage, bay leaf and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Turn down to a low simmer and keep lid on, but slightly ajar and cook for 45 minutes to an hour or until beans are as soft as you’d like them.
(If you want, you can puree some of them with an immersion blender. I like them just the way they are, but this is one way to get a creamier soup.)
Add kale and fresh sage about 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with bacon when ready to serve. Serve with French Fries. I mean, bread and butter!
