Vegan Kale, Broccoli, & White Bean Soup
Vegan Kale, Broccoli, & White Bean Soup! Welcome to bein’ green and feelin’ oh so goooood. 😉 Vitamin packed, protein packed, and flavor packed makes this my soup of the month! As usual, it came to be because I had a bunch of veggies that I needed to use up before they went south. Also, my kiddo is still refusing to eat vegetables in their true form so I am constantly making pureed soups, pureed sauces, and smoothies so that G-man is getting in his greens, oranges, reds etc. For this soup, I used kale, spinach, broccoli, white beans, oregano, garlic, leeks, and veggie broth… pure heaven.
Being that I’m trying to lose some weight before summer comes a’ knockin’, ’cause I know that’ll be around the corner if I don’t hop on that train now, I am really gettin’ down with soups, salads, veggies, and grains. I did something hilarious: didn’t drink for the month of January. Then I said something even MORE hilarious: I wouldn’t drink until June. Then reality had a big f’in laugh out loud and handed me a glass of wine… and I’ve been imbibing ever since. 😉 Life’s too short, right? Also, it’s twelve o’clock somewhere! My point being, I can justify anything, anytime, anywhere. Life is too short however to eat shitty food and diet like a nutter, so I eat amazing foods that are healthier. Even if you’re not trying to shed some lbs (though I feel like everyone I know is always trying to do that), this Vegan Kale, Broccoli, & White Bean Soup will hit your special soup spot – no doubt. Sip, slurp, repeat! -FGG
Fun facts: These beautiful shell spoons were purchased on my amazing trip to Indonesia a few years ago. The wine is a pinot noir rose from the best winery around my neck of the woods – Ponzi! Lastly, that beautiful wine glass was my grandma Rugile’s. I was living with her in Asheville, North Carolina when she passed away. Had a stroke on her opening night on stage (was an actress). I was working backstage. We drank wine out of these glasses every night. She loved when I played the piano for her, and she could keep me out until 11pm with friends drinking B&B. What a lady!
PS- Being that I always listen to tunes when I cook and am constantly touting the amazingness of Billie Holiday and dinner time cooking, I’ve added my all time favorite Billie Holiday tune in my all time favorite arrangement of hers at the bottom of this post: You Go to My Head (Strange Fruit is a second close) 😉 Enjoy!
My Yum Print recipe card template is not working so here is the recipe sans template!
Title: Vegan Kale, Broccoli, & White Bean Soup
Description:
Vegan Kale, Broccoli, & White Bean Soup is packed with healthy ingredients, easy to make, loaded with protein and vitamins, and is CRAZY DELICIOUS! Lunch or dinner!
Serves: 6 Cook time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
10 oz bag of tuscan kale (this equals more than 1 1/4 C – it is about 4-6 loosely packed cups of chopped kale)
2 cups broccoli florets
4 C baby spinach – loosely packed
1 15 0z can of canellini beans – do NOT drain
6 cups of veggie broth (I used 1 1/2 Tbl of Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base Stock & 6 cups water)
2 leeks – chopped (use every part but the leaves at the top)
6 cloves garlic – diced
Dried oregano to taste
Pinch of salt
Pepper to taste
Olive oil for pan
Directions:
Heat pan with olive oil on medium (medium high depending on your stovetop) and then add the leeks and salt – cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally
Add garlic and cook for approximately 3 minutes more, stirring occasionally (I like my leeks to brown a little bit)
Add canellini beans and stir occasionally for 1 minute
Add broccoli and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally
Add kale and cover pan with lid. Let cook on medium for approximately 5 minutes, remove lid, stir occasionally for about 3-5 minutes more
Remove from heat
Option 1:
Put contents of pan in pot on medium or medium-low depending on stovetop, add broth, spinach, and oregano if using, cook for 5 minutes, then puree with immersion blender, heat for another 5-10 minutes
Done!
Option 2:
Put contents of pan in crock pot on high, add broth, spinach, and oregano if using, let cook for 30-40 minutes
Blend with immersion blender and let cook on high for 2 hours
Turn crock pot to medium and let cook for 1 hour more
Turn crock pot to warm and let simmer for 30 minutes
Done!
Notes:
Wine pairings:
Red- Rosso di Montalcino, Chianti Classico
White- Chardonnay, Riesling
(I used a pinot noir rose because that’s what I had in my fridge. Was an okay pairing)
Carrot Mushroom Barley Soup
Welcome back! This super easy, healthy, vegan, and flavorful Carrot Mushroom Barley Soup is a fall favorite of mine. This is my first food post since moving to Oregon from Beijing and it feels amazing to be posting about food again! Pictures? Well, terrible. I didn’t anticipate on shooting this recipe and made a quick last minute decision to do so… sorry for the horror! I have been beyond crazy busy since returning to the US. Not enough minutes in the day to accomplish everything I’d like to be doing. I’ll be trying to hone in on my amateur food photography shots over the next few months with more planned recipes – especially soup since this is most definitely soup season. Anything soul warming is a must! *Side note: Been overindulging in hot apple cider (from the farm of course – this is Oregon!) with spiced rum. So warm everything for the fall for sure. Took two weeks to figure out why I was so bloated! 😉 Was worth it, however, currently back on the less caloric concoctions. As usual, I digress. I had been craving barley and a different style soup. In this particular Carrot Mushroom Barley pot, I did not add small white beans, though this is my recommendation. Takes it to a new level! Sometimes, I cut the carrot portion in half and sub in sweet potato for a slightly different, and yes, sweeter flavor. Remember, any recipe can be used as just a base recipe for you. Feel free to substitute, add, adjust etc to your taste buds or simply to use whatever is left in your fridge. Waste nothing! Slurp, spill, slobber, and sip yourself into autumn… Enjoy!
- 9 small to medium carrots- diced loosely
- 3/4 package sliced (medium in thickness) mushrooms - I prefer white or cremini
- 10.5 ounces cooked barley
- 32 ounces veggie broth (I usually add a couple teaspoons of Better than Bouillon as well)
- 1 medium yellow onion - diced loosely
- 3 cloves garlic - diced loosely
- Olive to coat pan
- Salt & pepper to taste (be mindful of your salt usage pending upon how much sodium your veggie broth has)
- Oregano to taste (I enjoy quite a bit)
- Optional (but extremely recommended): 1 can of small white beans
- Place olive oil in pot on low-medium heat. Add onion and a dash of salt. Cook for about 3 minutes
- Add garlic. Cook for about 1 more minute
- Add mushrooms and a dash of salt and pepper. Cook for 3 minutes more
- Add carrots, oregano, and veggie broth (bouillon as well if using). Cook until carrots are soft. Approximately 10 minutes
- Remove from heat and puree with an immersion blender
- Return pot to low-medium heat and add barley and small white bean (if using). Stir occasionally and add any remaining oregano, broth, salt/pepper you'd like
- Let cook on low for approximately 10-15 minutes
- Enjoy!
- Substitute half the portion of carrots for sweet potato!
- You can also add 1/4 dry white wine for a different flavor.
- Pinot Noir
