One of my favorite things about the Fall and Winter is having an excuse to eat soup. A bowl of soup is such a simple comfort, especially on a chilly night (which, in Austin, is anything below 60 degrees!).
One of my favorites this season is my modified White Bean Soup with Garlicky Croutons. This recipe is easy and fun to make (as a rule, I find chopping vegetables to be very medicinal) and can be modified to include more of the ingredients you like and less of the ones you don't!
I used to tease my Mom incessantly about her "inability" to follow a recipe--she would substitute this, leave that out, and eyeball this or that ingredient. It was horrifying to this new-to-cooking kitchen helper. But now, friends, I get it.
Because now there's the matter of "I don't have that ingredient and I'm not under any circumstances going back to the store...so what can I use instead?" As well as personal taste preference, knowing the audience I'm cooking for, and just feeling like taking the chance. I'll leave my notes for each recipe as a starting point for you, but get creative! Use up some of that crazy huge bag of kale you don't know what to do with. Toss in a handful of crumbled bacon because it adds color. Create, my friends!
Part of the "secret" to cooking, in my opinion, is knowing what you can get away with substituting and what you can't. Don't push yourself too fast into this, but as you familiarize yourself with ingredients, you'll slowly learn what you like, what works, and what changes you instinctively want to make. In this recipe, look at the bold ingredients for suggestions on variations.
Carrots. Carrots are a root vegetable, and when they're cooked, they taste similar to sweet potatoes, butternut squash, or even parsnips. If you're a picky eater and you like most ingredients in a recipe (this one for example), you can start by subbing just one thing to introduce a new vegetable. Maybe you love carrots but aren't sure how you feel about sweet potatoes. Or maybe you've only really had Aunt Sally's sweet potato casserole topped with marshmallows...and so you don't really know how you feel about them on their own. Try a small substitution to give it a chance!
Cannellini beans. Cannelini beans are mild, creamy, small white beans. Being from South Texas, the only beans people tend to talk about are refried, borracho, black, and (the one that makes me laugh) ranch-style. In case any of you are in a similar part of the state, Ranch Style beans cooked in--you guessed it--the Ranch Style. So, their seasoning is what give them their name. I digress. Canellini beans can be substituted for other white beans such as Great Northern beans or even Butter Beans. Canellini beans can be harder to find, so just know that you can easily swap them out and get an equally delicious soup! From a nutrition point of view, they lend protein and fiber to the recipe, which makes it hearty and satisfying, even though it doesn't have any meat in it.
Kale. If you've been on the internet since, say, 2012, you've heard how great kale is for you. And it is, friends! It's super nutritious. But it's by no means the only vegetable that's worth cooking with. In this recipe, it adds a wonderful color, texture, and flavor---as would its cousin, spinach. If you're over kale, swap out another dark, leafy green veggie (think Swiss Chard, Turnip Greens). Also know that if you're not up for washing/chopping/wrangling a bunch of kale you can use frozen! Just gauge the amount by appearance. Since frozen kale is already wilted down, the way it goes into the soup will be the way the finished product looks, in contrast to how fresh kale looks (see photo at the top of the post)!
Garlic: Not a new ingredient to most of us, but one that can be a nuisance when you have a wooden cutting board. I learned a little tip I want to share with you in hopes it makes you life a little easier and your cutting board a little less fragrant. Sprinkle Kosher salt onto your cutting board, then use the cut side of a lemon half to "scrub" the salt around the cutting board. Let it sit for a few minutes and then wipe clean with a damp paper towel.
White Bean and Kale Soup with Croutons
Serves 4
Ingredients
5 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 1/2 cup peeled chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic, divided
2 cups chicken stock or broth
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3/8 teaspoon kosher salt
2 (15-oz.) cans cannellini or great northern beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups stemmed chopped curly kale (about 1 bunch) or try spinach or collard greens!
1/2 cup whole milk
1 ounces Parmesan cheese, finely grated (about 1/4 cup)
3 ounces sourdough or baguette, cut into 1-in. cubes (about 1 cup)
1 garlic clove, peeled
1. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high. Add carrots and onion; sauté 7 minutes. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds. Mash 1/2 of beans with a fork or pastry blender. This will help thicken the soup slightly. Stir in stock, 1 cup water, pepper, salt, and beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Stir in kale, milk, and Parmesan cheese; let stand 5 minutes.
2. Preheat broiler with oven rack in top position.
3. Place bread pieces on a foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil lightly over bread. Broil 2 minutes or until golden, stirring once after 1 minute. After removing the croutons from the oven, let cool slightly and rub the sides of the croutons with the remaining peeled garlic clove. Serve 1 1/2 cups soup in each of 4 bowls; top evenly with bread pieces.
*Note: I love to top mine with crispy bacon crumbles or shredded parmesan cheese
Joyfully,
Tori
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