The Fall/Winter of the Soup/Stew Part Two

After my week-long Thanksgiving in Vermont that involved a total of about 33 hours of driving (15 hours there, 15 hours back, and 3 hours from Burlington to Mount Snow in the middle) I resumed The Fall/Winter of the Soup/Stew this week. I spent the holiday, as I often do when I’m with my family, picking my sister’s brain for cooking tips.

Leah told me that she’d been making soups with dried beans and found that doing so made the broth a little thicker. I decided to put her advice to the test this week. The result is a recipe that’s similar to my first soup post, but is a total upgrade.

She was spot on about the dried beans. I’m never going back to the canned ones. (Goodbye BPA!) I also added dried lentils because I still had some left from the salmon and lentil recipe I made a while back. If you’re a little hesitant about dried beans like I was, don’t be. You don’t need to soak them or do anything fancy when using them in soup. You just dump them into the pot, simmer for several hours (about three), and they’ll soften and plump up. And, whenever possible, scoop up dried beans/lentils from bulk bins. You get exactly the amount that you need, save money, and you'll cut down on packaging (remember to reuse the plastic bag).

The new veggie this week? Leeks! I had never cooked them before, but Leah suggested adding leeks along with the carrots and celery and I dutifully obeyed. They’re definitely going to be a regular staple in my soups as well. They’re like delicate oniony-flavored ribbons.

Week After Thanksgiving Detox Soup (aka white bean, lentil, and kale soup--hello fiber!)

Ingredients

EVOO

1 onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 leek, cleaned (cut it down the middle and rinse out the grit that’s inside) and chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 can diced tomatoes (I used diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings because that’s what I had on hand and it added great flavor—I barely added any s&p)

6 cups low-sodium organic chicken broth

1-2 cups dried Great Northern Beans (I used 1 cup, Leah recommends 2)

¼ cup dried lentils (any amount is fine, this is what I had left)

2 bunches kale, stems removed and cut into small pieces

Salt & pepper

Instructions:

1. Heat EVOO. Add onion, sprinkle with s&p and sauté.

2. Once onion is translucent (a few minutes) add carrots, celery, and leeks. Cook, stirring, until carrots soften.

3. Add garlic.

4. Add tomato paste. Stir, but also let it toast a little in the pan. Leah informs me that it brings out the flavor and she’s right.

5. Add the tomatoes with juice, the broth, and bring to a boil.

6. Add the beans and lentils. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer.

7. If needed, turn off the stove and take your dog to the vet because he hurt his foot while running through the woods while you were home. If your dog doesn’t need to go to the vet, continue simmering.

8. About two hours into cooking, add the kale.

9. Simmer for an additional hour (not crucial—it’s ready to eat once the kale has cooked down, but the longer everything simmers the yummier it gets)

10. Thank your awesome sister for great cooking advice.