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1
Soak the beans overnight in cold water.
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2
Drain and rinse.
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3
Heat 3T of olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat.
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4
Add the onion, leek, celery, carrot, and garlic and cook for 10 minutes.
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5
Add half the rosemary, half the thyme, all of the parsley, all of the vegetable broth, and the chopped plum tomatoes with the juice from the can.
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6
When the mixture comes to a boil, add the dried beans.
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7
Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 2 hours or until the beans are soft.
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8
If the soup gets too thick, add a little water to thin it.
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9
If you have a hand-held blender, process until about half of the beans are smooth.
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10
Otherwise transfer half of the soup to a blender and process.
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11
Pour the puree back into the soup pot, add salt and pepper to taste, and then add the chopped kale.
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12
Cook for another 20 minutes.
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13
Meanwhile in a microwave safe small bowl, add the remaining 3T olive oil, the rest of the chopped rosemary and thyme, and microwave on high for about 1 minute.
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14
When the soup is done, drizzle the olive oil mixture on top.
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15
Serve with a rustic bread and (if you eat cheese) plenty of parmesan.
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16
Note: When using dried beans, the cooking times can vary widely depending on how old the beans are.
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17
Younger beans might be done in an hour.
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18
Older beans could take 3 hours.
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19
So keep your eye on the soup!
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20
To substitute canned beans, use 1-15oz can of Cannellini Beans and 1-15oz can of Borlotti beans.
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21
You'll also need to adjust the cooking time: Simmer the soup for 20 minutes, puree, add the Kale, and simmer for another 20 minutes.
