Tuscan Bean Soup with Kale

White Italian kidney beans make a delicious, hearty base for a soup. Add a dollop of pesto and some freshly grated Parmesan and I personally guarantee that everyone at the table will melt before your eyes.

BEANS
2 cups presoaked cannellini or great Northern white beans
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, or ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
1/8 teaspoon sage dried sage, or ¼ teaspoon fresh sage
2 sprigs fresh thyme, or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
4 cloves garlic, smashed

SOUP
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1¾ cups finely chopped yellow onion
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1½ cups peeled and diced carrots
1½ cups peeled and diced celery
1 tablespoon diced shallot
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
¼ teaspoon fresh thyme, or ? teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon fresh sage, or a pinch of dried sage
1/8 teaspoon fresh oregano, or a pinch of dried oregano
6¼ to 8 cups Magic Mineral Broth or chicken stock
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 bunch of dino kale or Swiss chard, stemmed and chopped into small bite-size pieces
A dollop of pesto and a sprinkle of organic Parmesan cheese, for serving

Cook the beans following the instructions at the bottom of the page, adding the olive oil and a sachet of rosemary, sage, thyme, and garlic to the cooking liquid.
In an 8-quart pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt. Sauté until golden. Add the carrots, celery, shallot, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Sauté for 3 minutes more. Add the garlic, thyme, sage and oregano and sauté 2 minutes more.

Deglaze the pot with ¼ cup of the broth. Allow the liquid to evaporate. Add 6 cups more broth, and the beans, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add more broth if necessary to achieve the desired consistency. Add the greens and a pinch of salt and simmer until the greens are tender. Think FASS: You may need to add a squeeze of lemon juice or a final pinch of salt. Serve in soup bowls with a dollop of pesto and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Cooking Instructions for Beans

Beans are normally available in bulk or prepackaged. One cup of dried beans yields 2 cups cooked. To cooked dried beans, sort out dirt and broken beans and rinse the beans well in a strainer. Place in a bowl or pot and cover with water (you may have to add more water as the beans soak). Squeeze the juice of one lemon into the soaking water (throw in the rind, too) and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight. Rinse the soaked beans well before cooking. Soaking beans breaks down the complex sugars (oligosaccharides) that hinder digestion.

We also always add kombu, a sea vegetable, during the cooking process. Kombu has a high mineral content that reduces the gas produced by bean starch. Some canned beans, such as Eden brand, include kombu. Rinse canned beans well and wake up their flavor with a spritz of lemon and a pinch of salt. Cooking times for beans vary depending upon their variety and age, so taste often during the cooking process. Place soaked and rinsed beans in a pot, cover with 3 inches of water, and add a 6-inch piece of kombu. Bring to a boil and decrease the heat. Cook the beans at a low simmer (bubbles will occasionally break the surface) for 45 minutes to 1 hour; begin tasting after 30 minutes.

When the beans are tender but still al dente, add 1 teaspoon sea salt to the pot (adding salt too soon retards the cooking process). The last 15 minutes are important, as the beans start to cook faster; taste to ensure the beans don’t overcook. Drain, discard the water, and rinse the beans with cold water. Proceed with the recipe or, when completely cooled, store the beans in an airtight container in your fridge or freezer. Cooked beans can be frozen up to 1 month. If you are planning on storing and reheating beans, leave them slightly undercooked.

© 2004. Reprinted from “One Bite at a Time – Nourishing Recipes for Cancer Survivors and Their Friends” with permission from Celestial Arts.