Kale + Bean Stew

Chris has been on a food detox for a while now, cutting back the processed foods and having little to no dairy. As I type he’s munching on the leftover kale stems from a salad I just made – this kid means business.

We were thinking up meal ideas when he got a craving for soup, one with all the good stuff and then some. Even better, he said he’d look up a recipe and make it himself. Um, deal!

I’m not sure where he snagged the recipe from, but it’s as delicious as it is easy. The only alteration we made on the second go ’round (which happened just a few days later… We totally snarfed that first batch) was ditching the canned carrots for fresh ones. I mean, really? Canned carrots? I didn’t even know those existed. Besides, I just bought a crinkle cutter and, yeah, I still like fun shapes in my food even at the age of 26.

The only other complaint is that there isn’t enough kale. I’m a freak for kale – next time we make this, we’ll be doubling it.

So, without further ado, here’s Chris’s purloined recipe for the hearty stew we’ve been living off of all week.

Kale + Bean Stew
Makes lots

Olive oil, for sauteeing
8 cloves Garlic, minced
1 medium Yellow onion, chopped
1.5 lbs Carrots, sliced (or crinkle cut!)
4 cups Kale (the frilly kind), raw and chopped
2-15oz cans Cannellini or Navy beans
4 cups Chicken or Vegetable broth
1-28oz can Diced tomatoes
2 tsps Italian seasoning
Salt + Pepper, to taste

Italian parsley, chopped, for garnish

1. In a large soup pot, heat oil on medium-low heat. Add garlic, onion and carrots. Cook until onions are translucent.

2. Add kale and cook for 15 minutes longer.

3. Place 1 cup beans + 1 cup broth in a food processor or blender, process until smooth and set aside.

4. Add remaining ingredients to the soup pot and simmer for 5 minutes.

5. Add bean + broth mixture to the soup. Simmer for another 15 minutes.

The other night we had this soup with a half acorn squash each and – you can probably see where I’m going with this. The soup went in the squash. It just makes sense!

Also, since Chris is the only one on food detox here, I admit to grating some fresh Parmesan over my soup and adding a small pinch of coarse sea salt to my dish.