Vegan White Bean & Kale Soup paired with Jack Rabbit White

John Hare on January 14, 2021

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large sweet onion, diced
  • 3 celery stalks, diced
  • 3 medium carrots, diced
  • 6 garlic cloves, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 3 ½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
  • Bouquet garni: (2 bay leaves + 1 large sprig of sage + 1 large or 2 small sprigs rosemary, tied tightly together with kitchen twine)
  • 1 medium Yukon gold potato, peeled and finely diced
  • 2 (15-ounce) cans of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 15-ounce can artichoke hearts (400g), drained and chopped finely (optional)
  • 5 cups black kale, shredded
  • Extra virgin olive oil (for finishing)

Gremolata:

  • 1 cup fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley leaves loosely packed
  • ½ cup basil leaves loosely packed
  • 2 large garlic cloves, left whole and peeled
  • 2 organic lemons
  • Coarse or flaky sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onion, celery, and carrots, along with a pinch or two of salt. Cook until the vegetables are softened and starting to just turn brown, 6-8 minutes.
  • Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook another 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
  • Pour in the vegetable broth and deglaze the pot, stirring up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Add 1 teaspoon of salt, black pepper to taste, bouquet garni, potatoes, cannellini beans, and artichokes (if using). Stir well.
  • Bring the soup to a boil. Then reduce heat, cover the pot, and simmer the soup for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
  • While the soup is simmering, make the Gremolata.
  • Finely chop the parsley and basil.
  • Grate the garlic directly over the parsley and basil. Then zest the lemons on top of this mixture.
  • Mix the garlic and lemon zest into the herbs and chop the herbs until they’re finely minced. Sprinkle with a bit of the coarse or flaky sea salt.
  • Transfer half of the soup to a blender and blend until thick and smooth. Then return this pureed soup back to the pot. Or, you can run an immersion blender throughout half of the soup, but be sure to not blend it all – you want to retain some texture.
  • Add the kale to the soup and simmer for 3-5 minutes, or until the kale is tender but still bright green. Taste for seasonings, adding more salt as needed. When the soup is done, remove the bouquet garni.
  • Serve the soup in bowls and sprinkle a generous amount of the Gremolata over each bowl and a drizzle of the extra virgin olive oil.

Fun Fact! Our Jack Rabbit White is vegan, making it the perfect pairing for this meatless, nutritious soup.