white bean and kale soup

last week i received my first bushel of farm fresh produce through my local CSA program (more on that soon). this first box was a mix of winter root vegetables and a wild assortment of mixed greens--some still unidentified.

in my race to cook the greens before they wilted away, i made a yummy soup that turned out to be creamy, delicious, tangy, and garlicky. it totally hit the spot.

my version of this soup is based on the recipe at mothering. i love pureed soups in the winter, so unlike the original recipe, i put the entire soup through my blender. a messy process, but well worth it!

white bean & kale soup
+ 2 cups kale, washed and chopped
+ 2 large cloves garlic
+ 3 cups cooked cannellini beans
+ 2.5 cups vegetable stock
+ 1 tablespoon tomato paste
+ 4 fresh sage leaves
+ 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
+ olive oil
+ salt & pepper
+ grated cheese

in a soup pot, heat olive oil and briefly saute garlic. add the cooked beans and vegetable stock. heat for a few minutes, and add in tomato paste and sage leaves. add salt and pepper to taste. mix kale into soup and simmer until kale has wilted (10 to 15 minutes).

then, working in small batches, puree the beans and stock in a blender. add lemon juice and enough water to give the soup your desired consistency.

serve topped grated cheese and a piece of crusty, buttered bread. delicioso!

:: image from lillieinthecity / flickr