KALE & WHITE BEAN SOUP

-->

Kale & White Bean Soup

Ingredients: 

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup diced yellow onion
• 4 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 (32 ounces) box low-sodium vegetable broth
• 4 cups packed chopped kale
• 3 large carrots, sliced
• 1 (14.5 ounces) can Italian-style diced tomatoes (optional) or 3 T. tomato paste
• 1 (14.5 ounces) can no-salt-added cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 T. fresh lemon juice

Instructions:

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes longer. Add broth, kale, tomatoes, and carrots,  and cover. Cook 15 minutes or until kale and carrots are tender. Add beans and lemon juice and heat thoroughly. Serve hot.

Baked White Bean Cakes

3 cups cooked white beans (or canned)
2 eggs
1/4 cup grate Parmesan
2 Tbs. cup olive oil
1/4 cup minced red onion
2 Tbs. minced garlic
2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary or 1 tsp. dried
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
salt and pepper
Tomato sauce (fresh or jarred spaghetti sauce) and pine nuts to go on top

Pre-heat oven to 375 and grease a baking sheet.
Put the beans in a large bowl and mash with a fork.
Add the eggs and whisk with a fork.
Cook the onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft and golden. Stir in the rosemary and then set aside to cool a bit.
Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper into the beans. Add the onion/garlic mixture. Stir until combined. It should be the consistency of thick cookie dough.
Form the dough into 8 cakes on the prepared cookie sheet.
Bake for 30 minutes, until golden and crisp.
Top cakes with tomato sauce and toasted pine nuts.

From Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian

Minestrone Soup from Alice Waters

Minestrone means "big soup" in Italian = a soup of many vegetables.

Prepare:
-1 cup dried cannellini or borlotti beans (I use little white beans)
If using canned beans use 2-3 cups. Reserve the cooking liquid or canned liquid.

Heat in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat:
-1/4 cup olive oil

Add:
-1 large onion, finely chopped
-2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
Cook for 15 minutes. Add:
-4 garlic cloves
-5 thyme sprigs (I used some fresh rosemary...1 tsp. dried thyme would work, too)
-1 bay leaf
-2 tsp. salt
Cook for 5 minutes longer. Add, and bring to a boil:
-3 cups water
When boiling, add:
-1 leek, diced
-1/2 lb. green beans, cut into 1/2-inch lengths
Cook for 5 minutes, then add:
-2 medium zucchini, cut into small dice
-2 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped, or 1 medium-sized can diced tomatoes
Cook for 15 minutes. Taste for salt and adjust as necessary.
Add the cooked/canned beans, along with
-1 cup bean cooking liquid, or liquid from canned beans and enough water to make 1 cup
-2 cups spinach leaves, coarsely chopped (about 1 lb.)
Cook for 5 minutes. If the soup is too thick, add more bean cooking liquid or water. Remove the bay leaf.

Serve in bowls. each garnished with 2 tsp. olive oil and grated Parmesan cheese.

Fall Minestrone variation:
Add 2 finely chopped celery stalks to the onions and carrots. Instead of thyme, add sage and rosemary with the garlic. Omit the green beans, zucchini, tomatoes and spinach, and use instead 1 bunch kale, stemmed, washed and chopped, 1 small can tomatoes, drained and chopped, and 1/2 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes (about 2 cups). Cook the tomatoes and kale with the onions for 5 minutes, add water and cook for 15 minutes. Add the squash and continue cooking until tender, about 10-15 minutes, before adding the cooked beans.

Duncan's Skillet Gnocchi with Chard & White Beans

6 servings:
- 1 T. plus 1 tsp. olive oil
- 1 16 ounce pkg. gnocchi (or fresh...)
- 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup water or vegetable broth
- 6 cups chopped chard leaves or spinach (about 1 small bunch)
- 1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings
- 1 15 ounce can white beans, rinsed
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella or fresh mozzarella
- 1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

Heat 1 T. oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add gnocchi and cook, stirring often, until plumped and starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Add the remaining 1 tsp. oil and onion to the pan and cook, stirring, over medium heat for two minutes. Stir in garlic and water. Cover and cook until onion is soft, 4-6 minutes. Add chard (or spinach) and cook, stirring, until starting to wilt, 1-2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, beans and pepper and bring to a simmer. Stir in the ghocchi and sprinkle with cheeses. Cover and cook until cheese melts and sauce is bubbling, about 3 minutes.