1teaspoonred pepper flakesadjust to spice tolerance
½teaspoondried oregano powder substitute with Italian seasoning
2canscannellini beans14.5 oz each, low-sodium preferred
4cupsvegetable broth
2cupswater
1teaspoonblack pepperadjust to taste
For bouquet garni
1bay leaf
2sprigsthyme
2sprigsparsley
Instructions
Rinse the kale under running water thoroughly. Then, cut the leaves into into 1 inch wide pieces. Chop the stem finer (typically ¼" pieces) since they're tougher to cook. Set them aside separately.
Drain and rinse the cannellini beans and set aside.
Finely dice two shallots (or one medium onion), 3 medium-sized carrots and two stalks of celery.
Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot on medium heat. Add the diced shallots, carrots, celery and the chopped-up chard stalks and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Add one teaspoon of salt and sauté for another 3 minutes. Then, add minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Tie a bay leaf with two sprigs each of parsley and thyme to make a bouquet garni.
Add three cups of broth, two cups of water, and the bouquet garni to the Dutch oven. Then, add another teaspoon of salt, a teaspoon of red pepper flakes, and half a teaspoon of dried oregano. Allow this to come to a boil. Then reduce the heat, add two cans of beans, and cook covered, for 8 to 10 minutes.
Finally, add kale and let them wilt, covered, for 2-3 minutes. Add half a teaspoon of fresh black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning and serve hot!
Notes
You can add more broth or water if you want the soup to have more liquid. Or to make it creamier, you can smash up half a can of the cannellini beans to add more body to the soup!
You can add more seasoning and adjust to your taste as desired.
You can add vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast to give it more umami.