Kale & White Bean Soup (and the Dead Kennedys' "Soup is Good Food"?)

I did mention that this is actually becoming a soup blog, right?  After all as the Dead Kennedy's song says, soup is good food (OK, the rest of the lyrics of that song really, really don't apply- but every time I make soup, I can't help hearing that song in my head for a moment).

This soup is as simple as could be, but made with a flavorful homemade chicken stock, studded with firm canellini beans and curls of bright green kale, it felt healthy and healing after a near OD on Halloween candy (the mini butterfingers and york patties are my favorites, FYI).


Kale & White Bean Soup

For chicken stock (make in a 6 qt or larger stock pot):
4 bone in, skin on chicken thighs
at least: 2 carrots, 2 ribs celery, 1 each parsnips/turnips*
1 small bunch fresh parsley & dill *
5 qts water
salt to season

*often super markets will offer a package with one or two each of these items- carrots, celery, parsnip, turnip, parsley and dill- sold as a "soup greens" mix in the produce section. This can be helpful when it is hard to buy individual vegetables, and you don't need that many. Buying a bag full of parsnips for example would not be so useful for this recipe. I also have started collecting carrot peels and celery ends and etc in the freezer in a bag to later use for soup.

For the Kale & White Bean Soup:

1 tbs olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small bunch of fresh kale
half a bag of dried white beans, soaked overnight
salt & pepper to taste
shaved Parmesan cheese- optional, to garnish


For stock:
Combine all ingredients (besides salt) into a large pot. simmer all day until fragrant and flavorful. Season with salt to your liking.  Strain out the vegetables/herbs and chicken so only the broth remain (save the chicken meat for burritos!) then skim any extra fat off the top.

chicken stock cooking away

For kale and white bean soup:
Saute chopped onions in oil until translucent and just starting to brown
Add garlic and continue to saute for 2 more minutes. Add the soaked beans and stock. Chop kale into edible sized pieces, add to pot, allow to wilt for a few minutes. Stir. Cook until hot. Season some more. Eat. Feel good about yourself and what you just put in your body. Sigh with contentment. Eat some hearty bread. Sigh again.

Everything will be alright.