This is what I call my “diet soup” or “cleansing soup.” We often have this soup at the beginning of the week after a weekend or a vacation of bad eating. There’s so much flavor without adding fat or anything unhealthy! All clean, healthful goodness!
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion - diced
1 fennel bulb - diced
3 celery stalks - diced
1 carrot - diced
3 garlic cloves - minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flake
Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper
1/4 cup store-bought basil pesto
2 cans cannellini beans - drained and rinsed
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 parmesan rind
1 bundle Tuscan kale - stems removed, chopped
1 lemon - zested and juiced
Freshly grated parmesan, for serving
Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, fennel, celery, carrot, garlic, pepper flake, and a heavy dash of salt and pepper. Cook until vegetables are translucent- about 5 minutes. Stir in basil pesto and let cook into the vegetables for about 2 minutes. Add the cannellini beans with a heavy dash of salt and pepper, broth, and parmesan rind. Bring to a boil and simmer for at least 30 minutes to get all the flavor possible out of the rind - the longer it simmers, the more flavorful. Before serving, add the kale a little at a time, letting the leaves wilt down before adding more. Tip: as you add the kale each time, sprinkle with a little bit of salt - this helps flavor the soup as you go and the leaves wilt down quicker. Finish with the lemon zest and juice. Serve in bowls topped with Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil.