Something about the winter is magical to me. The arrival of sweater weather, the advent of the holidays, the crispness of the air, the bountiful produce, and soup season. This healthy Italian style vegetarian bean soup is perfect for this kind of weather and my all-time favorite soup to make! It is the kind of recipe that has everything but the kitchen sink in it – but that’s what I love about vegetable soups. Tons of vegetables, herbs and an abundance of flavor.
The recipe has perfect combination of beans and herbs that makes a very cozy soup. You can whip this one pot meal in less than 30 minutes and its perfect for those busy weeknights when you want a quick meal. It is also perfect option to make for meal prep and can be stored in the fridge for couple days to be enjoyed later for lunch or dinner the next day. The flavor is out of this world, yet the ingredients re short and simple. Honestly, the soup is perfect for any time of the year!
Tips – if you don’t like kale then you are more than welcome to swap it out for spinach. I have made this recipe many times with spinach and love it! I highly suggest using fresh herbs, because the dried herbs just don’t do justice when it comes to this recipe. When it comes to broth, you can make your homemade veggie broth or store brought. This is a recipe my family and I have truly enjoyed and we all find ourselves making it often. If you are fan of vegetable soup like myself, you will love this flavorful, hearty recipe. I highly recommend serving this soup with some rosemary cheesy parmesan bread! The hearty bowl of soup with crispy cheesy bread combination is out of this world!
Ingredients
1 leek
4 oz kale
4 oz carrots
½ oz fresh rosemary
6-8 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
¼ cup white wine (optional)
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 medium size tomatoes, diced
1 can white beans
4 oz shaved parmesan (half for the bread/ half for the soup)
½ tsp crushed red peppers (adjust based on your spice comfort level)
10 oz vegetable stock
Loaf of crusty artisan bread
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Wash leek, carrots, kale and pat dry. Separate kale leaves from the stem, slice it thin and keep it aside. Halve carrots and leek lengthwise and cut crosswise thinly in half-moons. Keep both ingredients aside separately. Finely chop garlic and rosemary and keep separately aside.
If you are going to eat the soup right away, I would also prep stuff to make rosemary cheesy bread on the side while the soup is cooking. Cut your artisan bread in 1 inch slices, arrange it on a baking sheet in single layer. Drizzle both side with olive oil, sprinkle some chopped rosemary, salt and pepper. Top it off with extra shaved parmesan cheese. Heat oven at 450F when you start cooking the soup. While you wait for the soup to come to boil, place the bread in the oven to bake. Bake until bread is golden, and cheese is melted.
In a medium size deep pan, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil. Once hot, add chopped leek and carrots. Cook for 10 minutes or until vegetable are softened. Add finely chopped garlic and rosemary. Stir thoroughly and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add white wine (optional) and cook until evaporated, this process takes around 3 minutes. Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, crushed pepper flakes. Mix thoroughly and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Add vegetable broth and bring the soup to boil. (This is the time to put the bread in the oven.) Once boiling, turn the heat down simmering the soup another 3-4 minutes. Add in chopped kale and whole can of white beans. Let the soup simmer for another 3-5 minutes. Taste soup and add salt and pepper to taste if needed. Your soup is ready and by this time your bread should be ready too! Serve your soup in a bowl, garnish it with shaved parmesan cheese and serve it with baked cheesy bread. Enjoy!
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