Flavor and nutrition galore are packed into this wonderful soup featuring crisp celery and chopped baby kale. Prepare with or without chicken, using vegetable or chicken broth. Serve with a hearty, crusty bread for dipping your favorite breadstick. Great for lunch, dinner, or an appetizer on a chilly day.
Prep: 15 mins Cook: 35 mins Total: 50 mins Servings: 6 Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
3 Tbsp olive oil, or as needed
1 large onion, diced 5 carrots, sliced
5 stalks celery, chopped
salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (32 oz) container chicken (or vegetable) stock
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed, divided
1 cup chopped kale, or to taste
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, or to taste
Poultry Option: Add seasoned, precooked (grilled or boiled) chicken breast in the last minutes of cooking.
Preparation
Heat olive oil in a stockpot over medium heat; cook and stir onion, carrots, celery, salt, and pepper in the hot oil until carrots are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir garlic into vegetable mixture and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Stir chicken (or vegetable stock), black beans, and 1/2 can cannellini beans into vegetable mixture.
Blend remaining 1/2 can cannellini beans in a food processor or blender until smooth; stir into vegetable mixture. Add kale and apple cider vinegar to vegetable mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until flavors have blended, 20 to 30 minutes.