Bean and Kale Soup with carrots, celery, onion, kale and beans cooked in an Italian seasoned broth is a delicious, filling "meatless" meal!
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ medium yellow onion peeled/ finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery thinly sliced
- 1 medium carrot peeled, chopped small
- 3 cloves garlic peeled, minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves chopped
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 31 ounces canned cannellini beans (two 15.5 oz. cans) rinsed/drained (SEE NOTE BELOW)
- 1 medium lemon (juice of)
- 1 bunch kale torn in small pieces (stems discarded)
- Parmesan cheese (OPTIONAL) for garnish
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INSTANT POT: Rinse a bag of "15 bean soup mix" dried beans. Add beans to the inner pot. Cover beans with 4 cups of water. Cook on HIGH pressure for 40 minutes, then let pressure naturally release for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside until needed in soup.
CANNED BEANS: Drain and rinse canned beans; set aside until needed in soup.
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In a large soup pot, heat olive oil on medium heat until oil is hot, but not smoking. Add onion, celery and carrot. Cook, stirring often for 5-6 minutes, or until they have softened slightly. Add minced garlic, thyme, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Continue cooking for 1 minute, stirring often so garlic doesn't burn. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
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Add vegetable broth, tomato paste, water and drained beans (whatever type you use) to the pot. Stir well to combine. Bring soup to a gentle simmer; cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Smash some of the beans with the back of a spoon (this helps thicken the soup).
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Add lemon juice and kale to the soup. Cook 3-4 more minutes. As it cooks, kale will wilt and reduce in volume. Once soup is heated through, it's ready to serve.
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Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish each serving with finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese (optional, but good) and serve immediately. Enjoy!
NOTE: Prep time does not include the time necessary for pre-cooking dried beans in an Instant Pot (as that is optional). If you want to use the "15 bean soup mix", you will only need one, 10-ounce bag.
Caloric calculation was made using two cans of cannellini beans.