Lemony White Bean Soup with Kale & Gremolata

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 large sweet onion, diced

• 3-4 celery stalks, diced

• 3-4 medium carrots, diced

• 6 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (use 6 cups if you don’t have potato leek soup)

• 2 cups potato leek soup

• Salt to taste

• Freshly cracked black pepper to taste

• Bouquet garni: 2-3 bay leaves + 2 large sprigs of sage + 2 large sprigs rosemary, tied tightly together with kitchen twine

• 1-2 medium Yukon gold potato peeled and diced

• 2 (15-ounce) cans of cannellini beans, 1 drained and rinsed and 1 only drained (the latter adds creaminess to the soup)

• 1 (15-ounce) can artichoke hearts or artichoke bottoms, drained and chopped finely

• 5 cups kale, shredded

• Gremolata

  • 1 cup fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley leaves, loosely packed

  • 1/2 cup basil leaves, loosely packed

  • 2 large garlic cloves, left whole and peeled

  • 2 organic lemons

  • Coarse or flaky sea salt

• Good-quality extra virgin olive oil (for finishing)

• Fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano for topping, if desired (omit if you would like this dish to be vegan or use vegan parmesan)

• Serve with a crusty bread (sourdough or French loaf)

  
  

Directions (Stovetop)

1. Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, turn down to medium, add olive oil, then add the onion, celery, and carrots, along with a pinch or two of salt/pepper. Cook until the vegetables are softened and starting to just turn brown, 6-8 minutes.

   1. In parallel, in a shallow pan, sauté the artichokes over medium-high heat in a bit of olive oil with some salt/pepper until brown and crispy. Set aside until needed.

2. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, cook another 1-2 minutes until fragrant.

3. Pour in the vegetable broth and deglaze the pot, stirring up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Add additional salt and black pepper to taste, the bouquet garni, potatoes, cannellini beans, and sautéed artichoke. Stir well.

4. Bring the soup to a boil. Then reduce heat, cover the pot, and simmer the soup for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Remove the bouquet garni.

5. While the soup is simmering, make the Gremolata*.

   1. Finely chop the parsley and basil.

   2. Using a Microplane, grate the garlic directly over the parsley and basil. Then zest the lemons on top of this mixture, taking care to not zest the white pith underneath the skin. Add the juice of one of the lemons.

   3. Mix the garlic, lemon zest, and lemon juice into the herbs and chop the herbs until they’re finely minced. Sprinkle with a bit of the coarse or flaky sea salt.

6. Transfer half of the soup to a blender and blend until thick and smooth. Then return this pureed soup back to the pot. You can also run an immersion blender throughout the soup, but be sure to not blend it all as you still want the texture.

7. Add the kale to the soup and simmer for 3-5 minutes, or until the kale is tender but still bright green. Taste for seasonings, adding more salt/pepper as needed. Add juice of half a lemon to the soup.

8. Serve the soup in bowls and sprinkle a generous amount of the Gremolata* over each bowl and a drizzle of the extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano, red pepper flakes, and black pepper if desired.

   
   

*The Gremolata will only last a few days in the fridge as they are fresh herbs. Use it quickly!