Kale White Bean Soup

All of these cold days have had me on a roll with my Crockpot, and this savory soup was the perfect healthy "warm-up" I needed! It was SO simple to make and tastes great as leftovers- I always mention this because I am always cooking for just myself, so it is important to me that it freezes well and still tastes great :)

warm, simple, yummy

Ingredients:

3 14-ounce cans Vegetable Broth

1 15-ounce can Tomato Puree

1 15-ounce can Small White Beans: drain & rinse

1/2 cup uncooked brown rice

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 t. dried basil

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

2 garlic cloves, chopped

8 cups coarsely chopped fresh Kale or Spinach leaves

Parmesan Cheese- finely shredded

mmmm garlic :)

My Alterations: I couldn't find cans of vegetable broth, so I used 1 1/2 boxes of it (I aimed for the 42oz total). You can also substitute Great Northern Beans with the Small White Beans if that is what you have in your cabinet! I did not use Parm Cheese to top it. Lastly, I substituted the Brown Rice with Quinoa that was already cooked... not sure if this messed up the recipe, but I thought it tasted fine! I've been on a Quinoa kick (yay protein) and had no brown rice on hand :)

mmmm onion :)

Directions:
1. In a 4-Quart slow cooker, combine the vegetable borth, tomato puree, beans, rice, onion, basil, salt, pepper, and garlic.
2. Cover, cook on low-heat setting for 5-7 hours OR high-heat setting for 2 1/2- 3 1/2 hours.
3. Just before serving, stir in the kale or spinach and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese

kale= SO good for you!

Clearly, this soup was SO simple to make. I started it at 3 in the afternoon and enjoyed it at 630/7pm, it worked so well. Initially (before adding the kale) I thought the soup looked SO boring and empty, which I thought could be from my cooked-quinoa substitute (maybe the rice was supposed to soak up some of the broth?). After adding the kale, it looked much prettier!

Nutrition Per Serving (6 servings): 150 calories, 9g protein (more with quinoa), 31g carbs, 3g fat (with parm), 8g fiber

Kale's benefits are plentiful! First of all, it is packed with fiber which helps to keep you feel "fuller for longer". 5 grams are in ONE cup... there are 8 cups in here. Don't forget to drink lots of water when you consume fiber (otherwise it will have opposite effects and "bind" you up...) It is super beneficial for your immune system (fight that flu!) with its Vitamins A & C! It even prevents wrinkles, helps your skin, hair, and nails, AND helps keep your vision and bones strong. Plus, it doesn't really taste like anything, especially when combined in soup. So why wouldn't you eat it?

I hope you enjoy!

Morgan