Italian Kale Soup…

I saw a recipe on the back of a cracker box for an Italian soup that used sausage, cannellini beans and spinach. I then came across a recipe for cannellini bean and kale soup. There were things about both recipes I did not like.

 The Italian soup had noodles in it and it just didn’t seem to appetizing to me. It did have sausage,but since I used it the night before in red beans and rice, I didn't have any to add. I thought about putting ground beef in this soup, but didn’t think it would taste right. You could add a pound of sausage to this recipe if you wanted.

The soup is colorful, and full of all those good vitamins we all need, like beta-carotene from carrots, that can help guard against colds and the flu. Then there is Kale, which has quickly become the new super since people have discovered all of its wonder benefits.  

So what is so special about Kale?

One cup of kale contains 36 calories, 5 grams of fiber, and 15% of the daily requirement of calcium and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), 40% of magnesium, 180% of vitamin A, 200% of vitamin C, and 1,020% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus.

Beyond antioxidants, the fiber content of kale binds bile acids and helps lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease, especially when kale is cooked instead of raw.

As it stands right now you could switch the chicken broth out for vegetable broth and make this a vegetarian soup.

 I put salt and pepper on the ingredient list. I personally don't think it needs any salt, but to each their own. I think a few tablespoons of shredded mozzarella cheese on top when serving would be really good.

Ingredients:

1 med yellow onion, chopped

3 Tablespoons garlic, minced

Olive oil

4 cups chicken broth

6 packed cups raw kale, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

2 parsnips, chopped

2 cans (15 ounce) Cannellini beans, undrained

1 can (28 ounce) whole tomatoes

½ teaspoon ground thyme

½ teaspoon dried rosemary

½ teaspoon oregano

½ teaspoon garam masala

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In large soup pot, sauté onions and garlic in olive oil, add in kale and stir until the kale wilts

Add broth, carrots, parsnips, and celery. Drain tomato juice into pot; crush tomatoes before adding to pot.

Add cannellini beans and spices.

Simmer for half hour.

Funny looking white carrot…

I decide the other night to try making parsnips. The parsnip is a root, that looks like a white carrot, and smells like a combination of carrots and either ginger or cardamom. 

Health wise, parsnips are a wonderful source of fiber. A half-cup serving will provide 13 grams of soluble fiber.  Soluble fibers are need for maintaining blood sugar levels and help reduce high cholesterol. A startling benefit of consuming parsnips is folic acid. Folic Acid is the vitamin B family and can help with certain types anemia. Please do not run out and take Folic Acid without consulting your doctor first.

Preparing parsnips is similar to carrots. After washing, use your vegetable or potato peeler and remove a thin layer. Trim both ends, and then slice in half-length wise. Unlike the carrot, the center of parsnips can be tough or woody. To me it was similar to chewing on sugar cane.

The recipe, I used said that parsnips can be woody and to remove that part. So you will not make the same mistake I did, I would suggest you core the parsnip. Slice each half again, and remove the center of the root. If you are using larger parsnips, the middle woody section will pull away on their own. Cut the remaining pieces into to 1 to 2 inch lengths.

Place your cut pieces into a medium pot of water; bring to a boil, until just soft. Drain water from pot and add ¼ cup of butter. Replace pot on low heat and cook about five minutes. You do not want brown or mushy parsnips. Salt and pepper to taste.

If I would have understood the woody term and how to fix it, I think the family would have enjoyed these. Instead… not such good reviews for the poor parsnip. This is what cooking is all about though, being creative, making mistakes and trying new things. Good Luck!