Soup’s On! Potato and Kale Soup

My renewed commitment to cooking soup on Sunday nights is working out so well! It’s so convenient during the week to have it in the fridge, plus it’s helping me save money and change up my lunchtime routine. This week, I decided to try out another fabulous winter soup recipe from The Art of Simple Food.

Honestly, I cannot get over how everything I make from this book is both delicious and so, so simple. I mean, it’s such basic ingredients…how can they possibly be so delicious?! But it is…every damn time!

Ingredients

One bunch kale, leaves torn from tough stems and chopped into bite-sized pieces

One pound potatoes (weigh it…I only needed one large potato), chopped into bite-sized pieces

Two tbsp olive oil

Two onions, thinly sliced

Four cloves garlic, chopped

Six cups chicken broth

One cup white beans

Salt and pepper to taste

This Is How We Do It

Heat the olive oil in a large pot and add the onions.

Cook until tender and browned, about 12 minutes. Then add the garlic and cook for another minute. Finally, add the kale and potatoes (and a generous dash of salt) and cook for about four minutes.

I LOVE how it looks at this point…so earthy! Add the broth and bring to a boil. Once it’s boiling, reduce to a simmer and let it go for about 30 minutes, or until the potatoes and kale are tender.

Just before serving, stir in the beans.

Grind some pepper and sea salt into it and serve, topped with a little fresh Parm if you like!

OH, heyyyy! Alice Waters, you are my hero.

Seriously, every time I make one of her recipes, I think it’s going to be boring or bland. Never the case! This is just so good…so hearty and warm and flavorful. The garlic and pinch of salt give it plenty of flavor, and I’m glad I left the potatoes unpeeled (which I tend to do out of laziness/hatred for peeling tools)…it makes it even heartier.

So, let’s see…this recipe cost about…$6…and will feed me for approximately…five days! I’m not good at math, but I know a good deal when I see it. And it was a great way to incorporate a very healthy veggie into my life. The beans have fiber and protein, and the potatoes have a good dose of potassium, which is great for balancing too much dietary sodium!

I’m not even freezing this soup…I’m just eating it all till it’s gone. Seriously, with a side of Triscuits and an apple, it makes for an awesome meal. Coming home from spinning on Monday and knowing this was in the fridge waiting was such a relief! And I’ve also noticed when I eat really good, whole food like this, I never want a slab of cheesecake for dessert. We had the “Perfect Brownies” all ready, and I didn’t even want one. It reminds me of the Greek stew I made in D.C. with Julia…this is the kind of meal you want when you’re feeling good and pure after a hell of a run outside!