Vegan White Bean & Kale Soup

It’s barely Fall in AZ but any temp below 70 degrees immediately cues my soup-making gene.

This hearty, crave-worthy, slurpable delight was inspired by the Vegan Zuppa Toscana recipe from the Yummy Mummy Kitchen blog. I’d love to say we (B and I) practiced responsible portion control with this one but we finished the WHOLE POT in less than 24 hrs. Suffice to say, this one is DEFINITELY on the recipe repeat list!

I took a chance and decided to forgo coconut milk for adding a ‘creamy’ touch to the broth in favor of Veganaise. Now, I never in my life added mayo to a soup for any reason before I became vegan, but I just had a feeling that the ultra-creamy texture and slightly tangy flavor would add a little something extra to the soup and, after tasting the results, I think I was right. Looking forward to trying with vegan sour cream as well.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 2-3 TBSP minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes or more (to taste)
• 1 TBSP Italian seasoning
• 1/2 of a medium sized yellow onion, diced
• 3-4 Russet potatoes, cut into chunks (I like 8ths)
• 32 oz. vegetable stock
• 1 bunch kale, de-stemmed and torn into pieces
• 2 Field Roast Italian Sausages, sliced into rounds
• 4 slices Sweet Earth Benevolent Bacon, diced
• 1 can (15oz) White Beans (if using dried beans, follow pre-soak/cooking package instructions before using)
• 1/2 TBSP Himalayan Pink salt (to taste, mine is in a grinder so I’m guestimating)
• 1/2 TBSP Lemon Pepper (I like Urban Accents Fisherman’s Wharf)
• Nutritional yeast (I like Bragg’s)
• 2 TBSP Veganaise
• 2 drops Liquid Aminos (I used Bragg’s here as well)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add 1 TBSP olive oil, garlic, onion and saute for a minute.
2. Now add your diced ‘bacon’, sliced sausage and white beans. Stir in Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, lemon pepper and a few shakes of salt. Continue stirring until both sausage and bacon show some browning, approximately 3-5mins.
3. Remove from heat and set the mixture aside. Return the pot to heat and add your sliced potatoes and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until potatoes soften, approximately 15 minutes.
4. Once the potatoes are tender, add your sausage, bacon and bean mixture. Stir in the Veganaise. It may clump at first, but as the soup simmers it will continue to break down and become part of the broth. Next, stir in your nutritional yeast and liquid aminos. Allow the soup to return to a good simmer.
5. Now add the kale and stir as it wilts. It may seem like A LOT of kale, but just like spinach, it will cook down as the heat hits it. Give it a taste (or two!) and adjust seasonings if needed. Serve hot and top with shredded vegan parm or more nutritional yeast if desired.

 




Happy eating, babes! I would love to know your thoughts if you guys try this one out!