Fill Up On Healthy Kale Bean Soup

Soups are not always the most filling of meals out there, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Here is a recipe for a kale bean soup that will fill you up but also keep your warm for winter dinners. You can also sub out the pancetta or bacon and put in chicken, ground turkey, or any other meat or protein substitute you might want.

Ingredients

3 oz thick-cut pancetta or bacon, chopped up
1 yellow onion, chopped up
2 cups mushrooms, sliced into small pieces
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp whole cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp red chili flakes
5 cups chicken or vegetable broth (you can low sodium if you prefer)
1 bunch of kale, chopped up
3 cups cooked or canned black beans (drain and rinse them either way)
The juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

1. Start by placing a large saucepan over medium heat and adding in the pancetta or bacon. Cook it for about two minutes until it starts to brown and some of the fat goes away. Then remove the pan from the heat and set it to the side.

2. Next add to the pan the garlic, thyme, black pepper, and chili flakes, and then put it back on the heat and mix it up for another 30 seconds or so.

3. Next take a different pan and heat up the broth, which you will bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and let it simmer for ten minutes. Then add in the pancetta, kale, and one cup of the beans, and let it simmer for ten more minutes.

4. Next move the soup to a blender and puree it so that all the ingredients get mixed together, then return it to the pan and add in the rest of the beans and the lemon juice. If the soup gets too thick once all the ingredients are adding, you can water it down with some more broth.

5. Lastly top the soup with the parmesan and more black pepper, and enjoy!