I don't know about you, but I love soups! So hearty and filling they can be. This is one of those soups that you can count on to leave you feeling satisfied. As the temperatures drop a nice warm bowl of pasta, beans & greens will hit the spot. The recipe will make enough to feed a large family or if not feeding a large family you will have leftovers to easily reheat and enjoy. I highly recommend using a stock pot since it will yield a lot of soup. Let's put it together...
A few flavorful herbs like sage, bay leaves and thyme...
Add your pasta of choice. I am finishing up the last of my whole wheat pasta and will be using gluten free pastas made from quino or rice instead. Use any pasta type you like from shells, macaroni, penne, bowtie, ditalini, etc.
I used Tuscan kale for this and it was delicious. It has such a brilliant green color and is one of my favorite kale varieties. Kale is king of the greens, it's packed full of nutrients! Put it all together with a few extra vegetables and spices and voila...a healthy, hearty soup for the mind, body and soul!
Pasta and Beans Soup with Kale
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried cranberry beans, or great northern beans*
- 4 cups vegeatable broth
- 4 cups water
- leaves of 3 sprigs of thyme, or 1 tablespoon dried
- 3 - 5 leaves of sage, chopped, or 2 teaspoons dried
- 2 -3 teaspoons smoked paprika**
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 large organic tomatoes, diced (I leave the skin on) or 1 can (15oz) crushed canned tomatoes with juice
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 1 bunch Tuscan kale (about 4 loose cups), roughly chopped and stems removed
- a pinch or two of red pepper flakes
- himalayan salt, to taste***
- cracked pepper, to taste
- 6 oz of pasta of choice, cooked
1. Start by pre-soaking your beans overnight, or at least eight hours, in a large pot of water filled two to three inches above the beans. Drain and rinse well.
2. Using same pot you soaked your beans in, add beans, thyme, sage, bay leaves and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Skim off any foam as needed.
3. While beans are simmering, prepare your veggies. After the beans have simmered 30 minutes, add in onion, garlic, tomatoes, carrots, and the remaining four cups of water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 50 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. While the soup is simmering cook your pasta according to package, set aside.
5. After 50 minutes, add in kale, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste and simmer for 5 minutes. Lastly add in the pasta, cook five more minutes, taste for seasoning and serve. Serve with some fresh cracked pepper and a drizzle of olive oil if you like. Pairs well with crusty bread. Serves six generously.
* Feel free to use two cans (15oz) beans such as kidney, cannellini, pinto or northern in place of dried beans. You can skip the first two steps and instead, add all the ingredients in step two and three at once, bring to boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes instead of 50.....continue to step four.....
** I made a second batch and added the smoked paprika and it was delicious! (pix below) I also used a mix of canned kidney beans, pinto beans and black beans instead of cranberry beans, and I even added in some mushrooms and used quinoa pasta...just goes to show this a very versatile recipe...almost anything goes...gotta love it!
*** Do not use salt while cooking dried beans until the end. Salt will disrupt the beans from absorbing water and it may result in an undercooked bean texture.
Enjoy!
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Here is my second batch and it was so good and simple! I've used a combination of canned beans (kidney, pinto & black), quinoa pasta, added mushrooms and included some smoked paprika which gave it a nice warm flavor. I have altered the recipe to include the paprika.
Delicious!
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