Kale, White Bean and Noodle Soup

White Beans

By Cat, June 2008 (Photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)

Includes: 1. Kale, White Bean and Noodle Soup

See also: 1. Basic Cooked Beans, Peas; 2. Beans & Other Legumes: Soaking & Sprouting; 3. Vegetarian & Bean Menu; Other sites: 4. Emily Skinner Bean Recipes (2); 5. The Vegan Gourmet on dried beans & peas (great reference! (3))

This is a variation on Minestrone Soup, but also is reminiscent of Pasta e Fagioli (Soup). I’ve not tried this yet, but I do like the combo of kale, beans and pasta in these other, more familiar soups.

Kale, White Bean and Noodle Soup

Black or Lacinato Kale

This recipe is adapted from Fine Cooking.com (1). I’ve halved the original recipe. See also another version without the noodles and flavored with rosemary instead of cilantro, also on Fine Cooking.com (2).

I love lacinato kale (black kale, pictured left, from Incredible Seeds (Canada)), but any kind of kale will do – or a mix of varieties. If you can’t find fresh cilantro don’t settle for dried, as it just doesn’t have the flavor.  Use flat-leaf parsley instead, tho it will provide a different flavor entirely.

Serves 3 – 4.

Ingredients & Equipment:

Soak and Cook Beans

• 8 oz  soaked or sprouted and cooked cannellini or other white beans (about ⅓ cup dry beans)
• warm filtered water
• lemon juice (1 Tbsp per quart of water)

Soup

• 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 – 2 medium carrots
• ½ medium red onion
• ½ small bunch kale
• 2 – 3 fresh limes
• ¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
• ½ cup broken (2” – 3” pieces) capellini, spaghetti, or angel hair pasta
• 1 quart homemade Chicken Stock or Broth or Vegetable Broth
• Unrefined sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Equipment

• large bowl
• 3 quart saucier
• wooden spoon
• serving plate

Method 

1. Soak & Cook Beans: See Basic Cooked Beans, Peas and Soaking & Sprouting Beans
   for instructions. If soaking the beans, start 1 days before making soup; if sprouting beans, start 3 days before.
2. Prep: scrub and chop carrots; chop onion.
3. Remove ribs from kale, then roughly chop kale to yield about 3 cups.
4. Chop cilantro coarsely.
5. Squeeze limes to make 1 – 2 Tbsp juice.
6. Break pasta into 2” – 3” lengths, enough to make 1/2 cup.
7. Soup: Heat 1 Tbsp oil in saucier over medium-high heat. Add carrots and onion, and cook until soft and just golden, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Scrap into a bowl and set aside.
8. Add remaining 1 Tbsp oil and warm. Add pasta and cook stirring often, until golden, 3 – 4 minutes.
9. Add broth and stir, scraping bottom to release stuck-on pasta. Add carrot/onion mixture, kale lime juice, and ¼ tsp salt, ⅛ tsp pepper. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until veggies and pasta are tender, about 10 minutes.
10. Remove from heat; stir in cilantro and adjust seasoning with more lime juice, salt and pepper.
11. Serve!

References

1. Fine Cooking.com Noodle Soup with Kale and White Beans recipe (finecooking.com/recipes/noodle-soup-kale-white-beans.aspx)
2. Fine Cooking.com Cannellini, Bean and Kale Soup recipe (finecooking.com/recipes/cannellini-bean-kale-soup.aspx