Greens and Beans Soup

 

Soup is naturally soothing and calming, creating an atmosphere of relaxation before sleep. There are also specific nutrients in this plant-powered soup that support sleep: complex carbohydrates, including fiber, from the potatoes and legumes, magnesium from the kale, and isoflavones in the miso (if using soy-based miso). Plus, this soup has received rave reviews from those who have tried it!

Greens and Beans Soup

Ingredients

 2 tbsp water (for sauté)

 1 ½ cups onion (diced)

 2 ½ cups organic red or yukon gold potatoes (+½ cup as desired, chopped [about 1 ½ - 2” thick cubes])

 ½ cup organic celery (diced)

 1 cup carrots (diced, or red bell pepper)

 4 medium-large garlic cloves (+1 as desired, minced)

 1 ½ tsp rosemary leaves (dried)

 1 tsp marjoram leaves (dried or dried oregano leaves)

 1 ½ tsp ground mustard

 1 tsp salt (optional)

 ¼ tsp nutmeg (freshly grated)

 ground black pepper (optional, to taste)

 1 cup brown lentils (dried, rinsed. or green lentils)

 2 cups vegetable broth (unsalted, preferably homemade)

 5 cups water

 1 tbsp organic miso (mellow white or chickpea)

 1 ½ tbsp blackstrap molasses (optional)

 2 bay leaves (dried)

 1 ¾ cups cannellini beans (home cooked or BPA-free canned, drained and rinsed)

 6 cups organic kale (+1 cup as desired, roughly chopped or torn)

Directions

1

In a large pot over medium heat, add the water, onion, potatoes, celery, carrots (if using), garlic, dried herbs and spices, salt if using, and pepper.

2

Stir through, cover, and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally. If veggies are sticking, add another splash of water.

3

Add the lentils, stir through, cover and cook for another few minutes, and then add the vegetable stock, water, miso, molasses, bay leaves and stir through.

4

Increase heat to bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and let cook for 30–40 minutes, until the lentils are very soft and fully cooked. (If using the chopped red pepper, add after the first 25–30 minutes of cooking lentils).

5

Turn off heat, add the cannellini beans, kale, stir through, cover, and let wilt in soup for about 5 minutes.

6

Remove bay leaves to serve, and taste to add additional salt and pepper if desired.

Chef's Notes

Substitutions
Mung beans would make a good substitute for the green lentils if you have those handy. You can substitute other greens in place of the kale if you like, such as collard greens, swiss chard, or spinach. If using swiss chard or spinach, you won’t need to cook them through, just stir through for a minute and serve. You can also use other white beans in place of the cannellini.

Spice
Nutmeg may seem like an odd addition to this soup, I know. However, it actually works nicely with bitter greens, and adds a subtle flavor to the soup that is very pleasant. Give it a try!

Red Bell Pepper
When using red bell pepper – which I often prefer – instead of the carrots, I add it a little later, to preserve more of the freshness of the pepper. You can add it earlier if you prefer.

Beans
Adding the cannellini beans later in the cooking helps preserve the white color of the beans. You can certainly add them earlier, with the lentils, if you want, but they will absorb the broth and turn a brownish color. Just for visual appeal, I prefer to add them later.

Kale
Use curly or dinosaur kale, and try to keep it in fairly large pieces, as they will wilt significantly.

https://foodrevolution.org/recipes/beans-and-greens-soup/