I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Soups are great for healthy eating! When I’m trying to eat better, I love making them because as soon as the soup is prepared, I portion out the sizes into individual containers to make it easy to grab for lunch (and to not overeat!). This Tuscan White Bean Soup with Kale is rich in fiber but low in calories and fat. Not to mention it’s vegetarian! Creamy, sweet Great Northern Beans are simmered with onion, garlic, rosemary and thyme in vegetable broth (any kind of broth will work here) and then carrots and kale are added until soft. Red pepper flakes and white wine vinegar are tossed in at the end where both lend a real flavor boost. The original recipe calls for escarole but since I started eating kale a few months ago, I always try to use it wherever I can. Any leafy green – spinach, collard greens, or swiss chard – will work, so use whatever you like. The only thing I left out is the addition of the parmesan rind and although I’m sure it adds a ton of flavor, I didn’t see the need for the extra calories so I just used a little parmesan cheese on top before serving. I loved this soup more than I ever expected to and cannot rave about it enough. I will make this again, no question!

The ingredients:

Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onion. Cook until soft and then add in the garlic. Sauté for 30 seconds.

Add in the vegetable broth, water, rosemary and thyme. Bring to a boil and reduce heat, simmering for 10 minutes.

Add in chopped carrots and kale and cover for 15 minutes.

Stir in red pepper, salt, black pepper, and vinegar. Remove the parmesan rind (if using). Serve with shaved parmesan cheese.

Additions: None

Omissions:

• Parmesan rind

Substitutions:

• Kale for escarole

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Cooking Light Magazine