15-Minute White Bean and Kale Soup

While the Baked White Beans with Garlic, Lemon, and Herbs takes an hour and half to bake, it doesn’t take that long to prep. I have become used to cooking my own beans on the stovetop, and routinely cook a big batch, freezing them in 1.5 cups portions with the bean cooking liquid. This way, when a recipe calls for a can of beans, I have exactly what I need in my freezer. I also have canned beans for all my emergency bean needs because as I am learning, my freezer isn’t actually that big.

This is a super quick soup, courtesy of Tess and thus literally bursting with flavour. White beans, kale and a host of flavours (garlic, lemon, celery seed, dill) are combined for delicious results. While you usually have to simmer a soup for complex flavours, here you only have to blend and heat. Almost an instant soup. With a dirty blender and a pot.

I adapted it from Radiance 4 Life, by increasing the kale and using lemon pepper for extra zing. Funnily enough, I hate celery but don’t mind celery seeds and thought they helped create many levels of flavour. The balsamic vinegar works well for the soup as well, but it makes the soup a bit murky. If you have white balsamic vinegar, this would be the time to use it.

This is my submission to Deb for this week’s Souper Sundays and to this week’s Wellness Weekends.

15-Minute White Bean and Kale Soup

2 cups cooked white beans (I used lima beans, but white kidney, Great Northern, etc would work, too)
1 cup kale, thinly sliced
1/2 cup soymilk or other nondairy milk
1/8 cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp dried dillweed
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1. In a blender, mix the beans, kale, and milk until smooth. Transfer to a soup pot and heat over medium-low heat.

2. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well. As soon as the mixture is warmed through, remove from heat and serve.

Serves 3.