Name: Creamy Tuscan White Bean Kale Soup
Prep time: 13 min
Cook time: 31 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 5 servings
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil (if oil-free, sub twice the amount of water); 0.5 large yellow onion, diced (1/2 large onion yields ~ 1.5 cups or 170 g); 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced (2 carrots yield ~0.75 cup or 100 g); 2 large stalks celery, diced (2 stalks celery yield ~1.25 cup or 150 g); 0.75 tsp sea salt (DIVIDED // plus more to taste); 0.5 tsp black pepper (DIVIDED); 2 tbsp tomato paste; 4 cloves garlic, minced (4 cloves yield ~2 Tbsp or 18 g); 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes (to taste); 1 tbsp freshly chopped rosemary or thyme (or sub 1 tsp dried); 1 tsp dried basil; 3 cups vegetable broth (or store-bought); 2 cans white beans, drained and rinsed (we prefer cannellini // or ~3.5 cups cooked homemade beans); 1 can diced tomatoes; 4 cups chopped kale leaves (or sub baby spinach); 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar; 0.75 cup full-fat coconut milk (or sub cashew cream); null null vegan parmesan cheese; null null fresh basil; null null croutons (find our recipe for homemade here)

Instructions

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1

Heat the olive oil (1 tbsp) in a large pot over medium heat. Add the yellow onion (0.5 large), carrots (2 medium), stalks celery (2 large), sea salt (0.25 tsp), and a few cracks of [black pepper], and cook (stirring occasionally) until softened for about 5 minutes.
2

Add the tomato paste (2 tbsp), garlic (4 cloves), red pepper flakes (0.5 tsp), freshly chopped rosemary (1 tbsp), and dried basil (1 tsp) and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
3

Add the vegetable broth (3 cups), white beans (2 cans), diced tomatoes (1 can), and sea salt (0.5 tsp) and [black pepper]. Scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, until the veggies are fork-tender and the flavors are well developed.
4

Optional (skip this step if you prefer a chunkier soup): Use an immersion blender to purée the soup in short bursts, only puréeing part of the soup (mostly the beans) and leaving plenty of whole pieces of vegetables.
5

Return the soup to a light simmer. Then add the chopped kale leaves (4 cups) (or baby spinach), turn off the heat, and cover the pot for 5 minutes. Once the kale is softened, uncover the pot and stir in the balsamic vinegar (1 tbsp) and full-fat coconut milk (0.75 cup) (or cashew cream). Taste and adjust as needed, adding more red pepper flakes for heat, vinegar or tomato paste for richness, coconut milk for creaminess, or salt for overall flavor.
6

Serve warm garnished with [vegan parmesan cheese], [fresh basil], and [croutons] (all optional).
7

Store cooled leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days, or in the freezer up to 1 month. Thaw from frozen before reheating. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop in a saucepan or pot over medium heat (covered) until warmed through. Add more broth or water as needed to thin.