Unbeatable combination of kale and sweet potatoes in this warming soup, flavored with turmeric and spicy pepper to awake you and keep you warm in these cold winter days.
Done in 25 min.
I hated kale as a kid. If mom would make kale stew, I thought of it as a punishment.
Things have changed, kale has become extremely popular in the past few years, and learning new ways to cook with it made it one of my favorite winter vegetables.
However, I still make that ugly face when someone mentions me that “kale stew”. Kale was always overcooked and there was that bitter taste.. But, I thought, it has to be possible to make it tasty! Since I like my vegetables crunchy, I figured I could do the same with kale. Before I cooked it, I soaked it in salted water and added it to other vegetables much later. Bingo! Kale stayed slightly crunchy, not bitter at all, and sweet potato and spices made the soup much tastier. Light, quick and so nourishing.
KALE, SWEET POTATO AND BEAN SOUP
– serves 4 –
Prep time:15 min >> Cook time: 25 min >> Total time: 40 min
Ingredients:
1/2 onion
1 garlic clove
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 larger potato
1 medium sweet potato
2 carrots
4 cups chopped kale
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 cup passata (tomato paste)*
salt and pepper to taste
6 cups water
1 cup precooked Borlotti (brown) beans**
Method:
- Clean kale by washing each leaf under running water and cutting out the stem from it. Chop and cover in water with a pinch of salt. Leave to stand while you prepare rest of the vegetables.
- Finely chop onion and mince garlic. Peel carrots, potato and sweet potato, then chop small.
- Take a big pot, add olive oil and put on low heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté for a few minutes, stirring them around now and then so they do not burn.
- Add carrots, potatoes and sweet potatoes, stir and pour in water. Cover and cook on moderate heat.
- After it boils, add salt and continue to cook for 15 min. In the meantime prepare tomato sauce and spices and add to pot, whisking it in a bit.
- Drain the kale then add to pot, pushing it in the soup. Cook for 5 min, add beans and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.***
- Serve with a slice of rustic bread and a drizzle of olive oil.
*you can use ketchup instead, but in that case thin it down with 1/4 cup of water
**If you do not have some beans lying around in the fridge, use the caned ones. Rinse and drain and add to soup at the very end. White beans and Borlotti work great.
***you can increase cooking time to 10 minutes if you like your vegetables more cooked.
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