Herbivoracious' White Bean and Kale Soup
By: Michael Natkin
Published: Saturday, May 12, 2012 - 5:06pm

Ingredients




1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for garnish
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 whole head garlic, peeled and minced
1 carrot, finely diced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
One or more of the following: 1 Parmesan rind or 3/4 ounce dried porcini mushrooms or 2 tablespoons vegetable broth powder (gluten-free if needed)
2 cups dried white beans such as cannellini or navy, rinsed and picked over
7 cups water
1 bunch dinosaur (lacinato) kale, stems stripped and discarded, leaves cut into ribbons and thoroughly washed
Juice of 1 lemon

Preparation

1 PRESSURE COOKER METHOD 2 1.	In the pressure cooker base, but without pressure, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion, garlic, carrot, and 1 teaspoon salt until the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. 3 2.	Add the bay leaves, rosemary, and your choice(s) of the Parmesan rind, dried porcini, or broth powder. Add the dry beans and water. Bring up to high pressure and cook for 40 minutes, then allow the pressure to release naturally. Open the lid. 4 3.	Remove the bay leaves and Parmesan rind, if using. 5 4.	Add the kale and lemon juice and simmer for 10 minutes, until the kale is tender. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then serve, garnished with a generous drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. 6 STOVETOP METHOD 7 1. Cover the beans with several inches of water and soak overnight. Drain the beans and place in a large saucepan. Cover with water by at least 2 inches and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the beans until tender, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Drain the beans, reserving the bean broth. 8 2. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion, garlic, carrot, and 1 teaspoon salt until the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. 9 3. Add 4 cups of the bean broth, the bay leaves, rosemary, and your choice of the Parmesan rind, dried porcini, or broth powder. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. 10 4. Remove the bay leaves and Parmesan rind, if using. 11 5.	Add the beans, kale, and lemon juice and simmer for 10 minutes, until the kale is tender. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then serve, garnished with a generous drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

About

 
The bean cooking liquid is an integral part of the broth for this warming soup. I give you three options for building more umami on that base: a Parmesan rind (which I save in the freezer when it becomes too hard to grate), dried porcini mushrooms, or vegetarian broth powder. Feel free to use two of these choices if you like!
If you have a pressure cooker, you can make this entire soup in it, including cooking the beans. If not, you can do it just as well on the stovetop; you just need to plan further ahead so you can soak and cook the beans.
Cook time: 1 1/2 hours, using pressure cooker (20 minutes active).
This recipe is from my book Herbivoracious: A Flavor Revolution with 150 Vibrant and Original Vegetarian Recipes.