Looking for an easy, wholesome meal that is sure to fill you up and yield leftovers throughout the week? Soup it is!
Whenever I think of easy ways to fit nutrients into my diet, I always fall back on soups. You can pretty much add whatever vegetables you have on hand in a soup (onions, carrots, celery, zucchini, cruciferous veggies, green beans, leafy greens, anything!) and as long as you have a simple but flavorful broth, you’re all set.
One of my favorite things about cooking is the endless amount of chances you have to experiment with your cooking. If something works for you, great, do that again! If not, no worries, you can always try again with a different combination the next meal or day. When I started looking at cooking with that mindset, preparing meals became more of a fun and a creative outlet. Quick tip: I started following recipes loosely, using it as a guide and substituting as needed based on what I had, was craving or just to try new varieties.
So with that, I have to admit that I made this soup on a whim..and you know what, it turned out delicious! I used what I vegetables I had on hand, added some spices for flavor and topped my bowl with all the tastiest ingredients to make a soup that stretched a few meals into the week. Win in my book :)
As I mentioned, this recipe serves as a solid base to guide you, but feel free to swap with what vegetables you have on hand in similar ratios. When we’re flexible and become comfortable in the kitchen (which takes patience and practice!), it becomes easier to cook and allows for a looser, more fluid approach to creating healthy meals that you love.
Hope you enjoy!
White Bean, Lentil & Kale Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp dried Italian herbs
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 small (15 oz) or 1 large (29 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 large can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 6 cups vegetable broth (+1-2 more cups of broth or water depending on preferred consistency)
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast or 1/4 cup shredded parmesan
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup dried green lentils, rinsed
- 1/2 bunch lacinato kale, cut into thin strips
- Juice of 1 lemon
For Serving
- Shredded parmesan or nutritional yeast
- Sourdough or crusty bread
- Fresh parsley
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Begin by prepping your ingredients. Chop carrots, celery, and onion into bite size pieces. Mince garlic and measure out spices/dry ingredients and set aside.
- Heat a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the avocado oil and let it heat up for a minute.
- Add onion, celery, carrots, garlic, salt, pepper and sauté until vegetables are tender, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the dried Italian herbs, oregano, and red pepper flakes and sauté for another 1-2 minutes to let the flavors come together.
- Pour in beans, crushed tomatoes, broth, nutritional yeast or parmesan, bay leaves and lentils and stir everything together. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until lentils are tender, about 20-25 minutes. Check on the soup consistency as the lentils cook. If you need more broth or water to thin the soup, add now.
- Once lentils are almost ready, remove bay leaves and add in kale, allow to simmer for another 5 minutes. Add in lemon juice and taste. Adjust any seasonings as needed.
- Serve with parmesan, fresh parsley and black pepper and side of crusty, buttered bread.
- Enjoy!