Kidney Bean Kale Soup

This may sound redundant, but I am getting sick of all the sickness in our house, so I am trying to cure it with food, specifically soup.  I have been making soups (including Provencial White Bean Soup already posted and a simple white bean, spinach, onion ones and defrosting previous ones, such as last winter's chili from my deep freeze.  Last year I realized how limited my time was with an infant, so I made two stock pots of chili at the same time.  Voila chili for an entire winter with one afternoon's worth of work!!!

I have been creating new soups to add to our normal reptoire and documenting my method and recipes as best I can to share with others.  Since I had already decided my bean for this week would be kidney beans, it made sense to center a soup around this.  I also noticed that my kale was ready to harvest again, so in it went in my imagination (that's where I concoct new recipes before actually cooking).  This soup is warming thanks to the bit of paprika and so comforting with a silky broth thanks to the fire roasted tomatoes (you should try them).

1 lb dried Red Kidney Beans
4 Bay leaves borken in half
1 1/2 teaspoons whole fennel seeds
1 teaspoon dried whole thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 1/2 large onions chopped
4 cloves of garlic thinnly sliced

2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper (I used a pepper medley mix)
1 teaspoon dried whole thyme
1-2 teaspoons paprika (I used Hungarian.  Some have a bit of a kick to them so add to your taste preference)

6 oz. can tomato paste
2 cans fire roasted tomatoes

8 cups of liquid (drain beans and reserve cooking liquid and add enough water to get total amount)
1/2 of cooked beans (reserve in either refrigerator or freezer for later use or add them all for a more hearty soup)
large bunch of kale chopped (I stack leaves on cutting board and due a few slices every 3 inches goign same direction as stem, then slice 1/4 inch thick)

If you don't like kale, spinach would be yummy

Soak beans overnight, rinse and add fresh water covering by 2 inches. Add the next four ingredients.  Bring to a boil (Note: you must boil any red beans for a few minutes and then either finish on the stove about 2 hours on simmer or in the crock pot for 8-10 hours).

When beans are almost done, heat enough oil to cover bottom of stock pot and when it looks shimmery add onions and saute until translucent.  Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds longer.

Add next 4 ingredients and saute for one minute.  Add tomato paste, stirring well, and cook for 2 minutes.

Add Fire roasted tomatoes with their liquid and add the 8 cups of liquid.

Bring to a low boil and add beans and kale.  It will look like more kale than you can imagine, but it really cooks down. It amazes me every time.

 Cook until the Kale is tender but still a vibrant green as the picture below shows.  It took about 5 minutes for mine to get tender.

 I love this picture...Mmmm...come to mama!!!

We enjoyed a big bowl of this soup topped with grated parmesean along with homemade sourdough cornbread on the side (still tweaking that recipe, so you have to be patient for that one).  It would be fabulous with pasta in it as well, just make sure that you add the pasta each time you eat it, otherwise the pasta swells and gets soggy as it soaks up all the liquid.  Everyone loved it including Mr. B although he prefers broth and chunky stuff seperate when eating soup.  Yep, he's already forming strong opinions.