White Bean Kale Soup

This is my white bean and kale soup. It takes a little time because I soak the beans, but you could substitute canned beans for a quicker cooking time. But if you can make the beans the pay off is huge. It is definitely worth it. Also you can freeze beans in their liquid. Really successfully. And the next time you want to make a pot of soup, all you have to do is go to the freezer.

This is what I did.
First I soaked large dried Lima beans ( alkaline) in a pot of cold water for 6 hours. They I drained them and put them back in the pot.
In a food processor, chop 1 onion, 2 carrots and 1 stalk of celery, into very small pieces. Add this mixture to the beans and pour just enough water to cover the beans. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about an hour. Cooking time varies. You might have to add a little boiling water to the beans if the water level gets too low. The beans are done when they become tender. I never salt my beans until they are done. Salt can slow down the cooking. Strain the beans into a bowl. Save the broth to use in the soup.

Soup recipe
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 small carrots,chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
3 cups of shredded dinosaur kale
1 ½ tsp. sea salt
Pepper to taste
5-6 cups of the cooking broth from the beans

In a pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and cook about 5 minutes or until they have softened. Add the carrots and celery. Season with 1 tsp of the salt and pepper.
Add the kale stir. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the bean broth, bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minites. Add the beans and continue to cook for 15 more minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. It will take 45-1 hour cooking time.
Note: if you would like a creamier soup you can purée ½ cup of the beans and add them to the soup.