Cannellini, Kale, and Chipotle Soup

From Helen Tsatsos
Serves 6

Garnished with cilantro-lime pesto and crumbled feta, this hearty bowl is Helen’s soupified adaptation of Heidi Swanson’s “giant chipotle white beans recipe” at 101cookbooks.com. Sadly, I didn’t get a photo — I pinched this one from Swanson; just … visualize it with broth — but this was another great winter soup, both hearty and healthy.

Ingredients

Soup
1 pound dried cannellini beans
2 quarts chicken stock (optional)
1 bunch kale (stems & center ribs discarded), finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 14-ounce can chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 tablespoon adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers (reserve remaining for another use)

Cilantro-lime pesto
1 medium clove garlic
1 bunch cilantro, stems removed
1/2 c olive oil
1/4C lime juice
big pinch of salt

Preparation
Soak beans overnight, and then cook until done, or about an hour. If your soup is vegetarian, reserve beans’ cooking liquid. With an immersion blender, puree about half the beans.

While beans are cooking, make the chipotle-tomato sauce base: Place olive oil, red pepper, salt, garlic, and onion in a cold medium-sized saucepan. Stir while heating pan to medium-hot. Saute about 8 minutes, until garlic and onions are soft. Mix in chopped tomatoes (including juice) and oregano. Simmer on medium-low heat for about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and add adobo sauce. Taste for spice and salt and adjust accordingly. With an immersion blender, puree sauce.

Combine the beans — either in their cooking liquid, if your soup is vegetarian, or drained and then added to chicken stock, if it’s not — with pureed chipotle-tomato sauce base and chopped kale. Simmer about 30 minutes, or until kale is soft.

While soup is simmering, combine ingredients for cilantro-lime pesto in a food processor and blend until combined. To serve, ladle soup into bowls, drizzle with pesto, and garnish with crumbled feta cheese.