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Katie at the Kitchen Door

Globally-inspired, seasonal recipes

16 June 5, 2012 Food

White Bean, Kale, and Pesto Soup

I had sort of thought that soup season was over, but apparently the weather disagrees with me.  All the cold, rainy weather we’ve had in New England (did someone switch April and June?) has had me drinking a lot of tea, baking, and craving cold-weather dishes.  I guess it could be worse, since soup is one of my favorite things to make – and eat.  It’s easy, quick, and pretty much the best way to pack a massive dose of vegetables into a single meal.  And this recipe is no exception.

I’ve tried a lot of recipes for soups and stews over the past two years, but there are a handful that I come back to time and again.  Portuguese kale soup, corn and cheddar chowder, minestrone, pork and black eyed pea chili, and this one.  I love how the pesto melts into the soup and gives it a smooth, creamy texture and an herbal, slightly sharp flavor.  Plus, the pesto makes this a good summer soup – perfect for a cold-rainy-wintery day in June.  I always use pecorino for this recipe, as I love how the sharp nutty tang plays off the creaminess of the white beans, but if you’re not a pecorino fan, substitute parmesan, or another hard, salty cheese.

In other news, I am immensely tired.  My trip to Spain was productive, if not super-fun, and I did manage to find blogging inspiration in some of the incredible meals we ate, which I’ll share with you later.  But the nutty schedule is starting to catch up with me a little bit, and I’m feeling kind of worn out.  Hopefully things will calm down soon and the sun will come back out, and you’ll be seeing a lot more of me (and with recipes for ice cream and grilling instead of soup)!

More like this…

Roasted Tomato and Lentil Soup

Roasted Tomato and Lentil Soup

Black Bean Soup with Roasted Poblano

Black Bean Soup with Roasted Poblano

White Bean and Parsnip Soup with Guanciale and Fried Sage

White Bean and Parsnip Soup with Guanciale and Fried Sage

White Bean, Kale, and Pesto Soup

A Katie at the Kitchen Door Original.  Serves 4.

  • 2 TBS olive oil
  • 1 onion, coarsely chopped
  • 4 carrots, peeled and sliced about 1/4 in. thick
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp dried parsley
  • 4 c. chicken or vegetable broth (use vegetable broth to make the recipe vegetarian)
  • 1/2 large head fresh kale, roughly torn into bite-sized pieces (or 1 1/2 c. frozen chopped kale)
  • 1 can cannelini beans, rinsed
  • 1/2 c. prepared pesto (homemade is best, but store-bought is fine too)
  • 1/2 c. grated pecorino cheese
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg (optional, but I love the interplay of pecorino and nutmeg)
  1. Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium heat.  Add onion and carrot, and saute, stirring occasionally, for 5-8 minutes, or until vegetables have begun to soften.  Add garlic, oregano, and parsley, and cook 2 minutes more, stirring.
  2. Add chicken broth, kale, and beans, bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes, until kale and carrots are tender.  Remove from heat and stir in pesto, cheese, and nutmeg.  Serve hot with additional grated cheese and crusty bread.
16

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Categories: Food Tags: bean, easy, healthy, pesto, quick, soup

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. qs1998 says

    June 5, 2012 at 10:30 pm

    Reblogged this on Sweet, Salty 'N Sour and commented:
    Mmmm…. That looks delish! I could use a bowl of soup… Actually I think everyone can!

    Reply
  2. virginiaplantation says

    June 5, 2012 at 10:45 pm

    I love the steam coming off the bowl. It makes me want to run into the kitchen and make it! Thanks for a great post!

    Reply
  3. Eileen says

    June 6, 2012 at 1:22 pm

    Oh, soup weather is never really over! This is one of the kinds of meals I like best–beans, greens, and savory, pungent herbs. Love it!

    Reply
    • katieatthekitchendoor says

      June 7, 2012 at 9:44 pm

      Agreed – a hearty bowl of chili on a cool summer evening after a busy day outside is about as satisfying as life gets. Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  4. thyme (sarah) says

    June 7, 2012 at 7:11 am

    I am love with kale since we made kale chips yesterday. We also made a kale “slaw” for our burgers that again gave me some kale inspiration. The kale in your soup looks like another way I can keep on buying it. Thanks.

    Reply
    • katieatthekitchendoor says

      June 7, 2012 at 9:42 pm

      Kale slaw sounds yummy. Kale is easily my favorite “leafy green,” – actually, one of the only ones I really like. One of my favorite ways to eat it is raw, massaged with avocado, salt, and olive oil which “cooks” it just a little bit.

      Reply
  5. Sacha says

    June 7, 2012 at 8:43 am

    The first photo really is incredible. I’ve taken a break over the past couple of days from warm-weather foods as well. I love any soup with hearty kale.

    Reply
    • katieatthekitchendoor says

      June 7, 2012 at 9:41 pm

      Thanks, Sacha! It was so cold in my kitchen this week that the bowl steamed for like 10 minutes, making it much easier to get the shot. Glad we’re starting to get some sunnier weather and can go back to summer foods!

      Reply
  6. Jacqueline Scott says

    December 7, 2015 at 10:07 pm

    This soup is ridiculously good!

    Reply
    • katieatthekitchendoor says

      December 8, 2015 at 7:36 am

      So glad you like it!

      Reply
  7. Lauralaura says

    January 30, 2016 at 6:09 pm

    Awesome recipe… the pesto addition is perfect!

    Reply
  8. KC says

    April 6, 2020 at 11:18 am

    Could I use spinach instead of kale?

    Reply
    • katieatthekitchendoor says

      March 4, 2021 at 2:44 pm

      Yes, absolutely. If using fresh spinach, add it at the very end (even right after turning off the heat) so it doesn’t get slimy.

      Reply

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