You’d think I’d have a lot more to say, since I’m on Spring Break and have been afforded these long, lovely days during which I am required to do absolutely no work. You’d think that. But you’d be wrong. Because, although I’ve been planning a post in my head all day, I’m not going to write it tonight.
Instead of writing that post, I went to a St. Patrick’s Day party, complete with a traditional St. Patrick’s Day Hot Tub.
What? That’s not a St. Patty’s Tradition? Shut up.
ANYWAY. Here’s a bit of advice for you. If you are ever invited to a party where dinner is an Irish Themed Pot-Luck, do not, fer the love of God, take anything having to do with potatoes. I promise, every single other person at the party will have brought something potato related. Mashed, boiled, baked and baked again, there were potatoes-a-plenty at the party tonight. I, in a moment of pure genius and foresight, thought that this might be the case. So instead of bringing potatoes, I did a little internet searching. Wikipedia turned up Kale as being an Irish food, and allrecipes.com turned up a Bean Soup with Kale recipe that met all of my qualifications: 1.) it did not have potatoes or meat, and 2.) it could be completed in less than 30 minutes.
I didn’t take any pictures, a photographic fail, but I can tell you that the soup was a smash hit, super easy to make, and cheaper than dirt. It was so well received that I even came home with an empty stew pot. You should make this soup. Kale is a super food we need more of it. And who doesn’t need more Irish Food in their lives?
Bean Soup with Kale from AllRecipes.com
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or canola oil
- 8 large garlic cloves, crushed or minced
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cups chopped raw kale
- 4 cups low-fat, low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 (15 ounce) cans white beans, such as cannellini or navy, undrained
- 4 plum tomatoes, chopped
- 2 teaspoons dried Italian herb seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup chopped parsley
Directions:
In a large pot, heat olive oil. Add garlic and onion; saute until soft. Add kale and saute, stirring, until wilted. Add 3 cups of broth, 2 cups of beans, and all of the tomato, herbs, salt and pepper. Simmer 5 minutes. In a blender or food processor, mix the remaining beans and broth until smooth. Stir into soup to thicken. Simmer 15 minutes. Ladle into bowls; sprinkle with chopped parsley.
