Another hearty and healthy veggie soup, the Kale and Cannellini Bean Stew recipe features two vegetables that have a perfect combination of flavors mixed with spices and colors. It’s so easy to make that you technically just have to get everything ready, mix and bring everything to a boil! It is perfect for lunch with garlic bread, rice or potatoes. Let’s get started.
What is Kale?
Kale is a type of green-leafy vegetable and is in the same classification as cabbages. It has a firm texture and the leaves have different patterns but have the same dark green color although some have parts of the leaves where the green is light colored and some also have a mixture of purple along the edges. It grows through winter and can be planted in different seasons based on their germination temperatures.
What is Cannellini?
Cannellini is another name for white beans. They are often called white kidney beans and are the largest among the different types of kidney beans. They are the meatiest and creamiest variety of white beans. Other types of white beans aside from cannellini are the following:
Navy Beans – They are small, oval-shaped beans that cook easily. They are perfect for recipes that involve mashing the beans since they don’t take long to soften.
Baby Lima Beans – They are nicknamed “butter beans” because of their buttery texture. They are starchy and are smooth and creamy.
Great Northern – They are medium-sized beans that are good in taking the flavors of the ingredients they’re cooked with. They are able to retain their better than Navy beans or baby lima beans. Their flavor is often nutty and mild.
Utensils Needed
Ingredients
Directions:
Step 1: In a dutch oven or saucepan, put 3 tbsp of olive oil and add in the garlic, onions, carrots and beans. You can let them simmer for about 1-2 minutes then add the sweet peppers, cabbage leaves or green leeks.
Step 2: Add vegetable broth and the tomatoes and mix everything well. If you don’t have tomatoes, you can skip that part and just make sure your broth tastes just as good. Let it simmer for about 3-5 minutes and then add the kale on top and give it a quick stir.
Step 3: Cover it with a lid and cook for about 5 minutes under medium-low heat. Stir occasionally until the beans and ingredients are well mixed. Taste the soup and add salt and pepper to taste.
Step 4: Once ready, turn off the heat and let it sit with the lid on for about 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 5: Serve and enjoy!
TIPS:
- The recipe is flexible enough to allow you to use any type of vegetable you have on hand. (e.g. potatoes, rosemary, thyme)
- You can also mix everything in the dutch oven and just heat it up after.
Vegetable Broth:
In case you don’t have ready-made vegetable broth in your pantry, you can create your own broth with the following:
Ingredients
Directions:
Step 1: In a pot, put 4-5 cups of water and put all vegetables together. Bring to a boil and let it simmer for about 5 to 7 minutes or until vegetable juices have been mixed into the broth.
Step 2: Turn off the heat and set aside broth. Drain using a colander.
Videos:
Tuscan Cannellini Bean Stew
Ingredients
To Serve:
Parmesan shavings
Garlic bread
Other Facts About Kale
In the previous articles, we have covered the benefits of eating beans and so now, we will provide more information about one of the main ingredients in this recipe which is kale.
DIfferent Ways to Eat Kale
- Raw – Toss it with other vegetables in a salad and eat away! It can also be used in burgers in case you don’t have lettuce. You can also use it
- Sauteed – You can simply sautee is with salt, pepper and olive oil then it’s ready to eat.
- In a Soup – It’s perfect for different types of soups and stews. It can retain its shape and color and adds a good flavor to the broth.
- Baked (Chips) – You can bake raw in the oven with just a little seasoning of salt and it will come out crisp and perfect to eat as chips.
- Garnishment – For some types of dishes, kale can be used as an additive to other types of meals.
Types of Kale Based on Leaf Type
Bumpy Leaf
It is also known as dinosaur kale due to its bumpy and scaly leaf texture. It is more robust than the curly types and usually appear flat and elongated.
Plain Leaf
This plain leaf kale is almost like the dinosaur kale except the texture of the leaves are less bumpy.
Curly Leaf
This is the most common kale and usually comes in mixed colors of bright green and purple. It has ruffled leaves that appear curly and are fibrous.
Leaf and Spear
A leaf variety that looks like oak leaves and are also known as Red Russian kale. They are more delicate and sweet than other types but the stems are hard to chew and swallow that is why it is usually de-stemmed before being served. It is the one normally used for salads.
Conclusion:
The Kale and Cannellini bean stew recipe is something that can be used if you’re rushing to prepare lunch or dinner since you don’t have to cook it for a very long time. If you’re not entirely vegan, you may include sausages while cooking it or you can add tofu to keep it vegetarian. I hope you’ll enjoy this recipe as much as I did. You can modify it however you want and cook it based on your best practice or experience. Happy cooking everyone!