Greens and Beans Soup

Time for Soup

It’s soup weather once again, and this recipe for Greens and Beans Soup has become a regular on my lunch menu.

This soup is loaded with nutrients. Let’s start with the greens. I’m using collard greens in this recipe for a variety of reasons. These power greens are high fiber to benefit digestion and keep the digestive track healthy. The calcium and vitamin K found in collard greens can help keep your bones strong. They’re also cholesterol lowering and cancer fighting.

Moving on to the white beans, like the collard greens, white beans are packed with fiber. They also have plenty of protein to keep you feeling full for several hours after eating this soup.

I’ve been trying to add more fresh herbs to my diet as they’re so nutritious. This soup has fresh flat leaf parsley and rosemary, both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant rich, to this pot of soup. These herbs can help boost mood and memory and also improve skin health. Wrinkles be gone!

There are also some “warming” spices in Greens and Beans Soup. Whether you use curry powder or Ras el Hanout, a North African spice mix with a little kick, these spices also contain plenty of anti-oxidants and anti-inflamatories to keep you healthy.

What’s In Greens and Beans Soup

• collard greens
• olive oil
• rosemary (try to use fresh)
• onion
• carrot
• Yukon Gold potato
• garlic clove
• cannellini or Great Northern beans
• Tabasco sauce (or to taste)
• curry powder or Ras el Hanout seasoning
• bay leaf
• vegetable or chicken stock
• salt
• parsley

How to make Greens and Beans Soup

• Remove the leaves from stems of the collard greens.
• Cut the leaves into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
• In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over a medium-high heat.
• Stir in the rosemary.
• Add the onion, carrot, and potato, and reduce the heat to medium-low.
• Cover and cook the vegetables until they are soft, about 10 minutes. Stir the vegetables occasionally to prevent them from sticking the pot.
• Increase the heat to medium high.
• Add the garlic, and cook for 2 minutes.
• Add the collard greens and stir until they soften.
• Add the beans, Tabasco, curry powder or Ras el Hanout seasoning (if using) and bay leaf.
• Add the chicken or vegetable stock until beans and vegetables are just covered with liquid. Add extra water or stock if needed. Add salt to taste, and bring the soup to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally, about 20-25 minutes or until the greens are very tender.
• Adjust the seasoning and cook for additional 5 minutes.
• Mash some of the beans against the sides of the pan to thicken the soup slightly.
• Stir in the parsley. Cook for an addition minute and then turn off the heat.
• Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Other Favorite Soups

Curried Cabbage Soup

Moroccan-Style Soup

White Bean Chili

Print Recipe

Greens and Beans Soup

Author: Anita's Table Talk

Ingredients

• 1 large bunch collard greens leaves stripped from the hard stems, washed and chopped
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary (or 1/2 teaspoon dried) minced
• 1 small onion finely diced
• 1 large carrot diced
• 1 medium Yukon Gold potato diced
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 14- ounce can cannellini or Great Northern beans drained and rinsed well
• 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce or to taste
• 1 teaspoon curry powder or Ras el Hanout seasoning optional
• 1 bay leaf
• 5-6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• salt to taste
• 2 Tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

• REMOVE the leaves of the collard greens from stems. CUT leaves into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
• In a large Dutch oven, HEAT oil over a medium-high heat.
• STIR in rosemary ADD onion, carrot, and potato.
• REDUCE heat to medium-low.
• COVER and COOK vegetables until soft, about 10 minutes. STIR occasionally to prevent sticking.
• INCREASE heat to medium high.
• ADD garlic. COOK for 2 minutes. ADD collard greens and STIR until they soften. ADD beans, Tabasco, curry powder or similar seasoning (if using) and bay leaf.
• ADD stock until beans and vegetables are just covered with liquid. ADD extra water or stock if needed. ADD salt to taste. BRING soup to a boil.
• REDUCE heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally, about 20-25 minutes or until the greens are very tender.
• ADJUST seasoning and COOK for additional 5 minutes.
• MASH some of the beans against the sides of the pan to thicken the soup slightly.
• STIR in parsley. COOK 1 minute, then turn off the heat. TASTE and ADJUST seasoning.