Soup and Conversation

With a little snip of rosemary, some large cuts of kale and a lot of conversation, my friend Jackie and I convened in my kitchen recently for some much-needed catch up time. She was just back from a family trip to Italy, and had little left in her fridge and I was starved for some girlfriend time. It was this great combination of reasons which prompted us to create a delicious garden fresh kale soup. Her kids and mine caught up with their own play time in an adjacent room, visiting us periodically for some freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. We had just under an hour to reconnect but it was time enough to whip up a pot of delicious soup (which became that night’s dinner) and listen to her vacation highlights. It was an all-together fulfilling time.

White Bean & Kale Soup
Makes 3 quarts

This soup is delicious, fresh and simple. If you’d like to make it heartier, sauté some smoked sausage with the onions.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 sprigs of rosemary
2 cans of white beans, drained and rinsed
5 cups chopped kale (stems removed)
2 quarts of chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan rind (optional)

In a 5 quart soup pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and sauté for about 10 minutes, stirring until golden. Slowly add the stock, beans, kale and rosemary and bring to a slow boil. Cook the soup for approximately 15-20 minutes or until the kale is as tender as you wish.