White Bean and Kale Soup

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   I was reminded recently that I had not posted lately.  The truth is, I want to be able to post with pictures but I am experiencing difficulties doing this.  Now my camera has a little battery flashing but I don't know where the charger is hiding. So...anyway.....
   Soup....I love soup!!!! I especially like soup when it's blustery and stormy outside. My mom ALWAYS had soup on the stove. Her soups were what I grew up thinking all soup was supposed to be, leftovers appearing one last time. There were some exceptions.  Albondigas (Mexican meatball soup,) posole (imagine a soup with a salad on top,) caldo de lentejas (lentil soup made an appearance during Lent,) caldo de res (beef soup) and menudo (the famous Mexican hang over soup.)  These soups had defined ingredients and tasted pretty much the same each time. My Tia Vet, (my mother's sister) made a soup that I still can't duplicate.  My son Jason remembers it fondly.  It had chicken and cabbage and then, by season, the veggies changed. But dang, it was so good! The other soups differed because they were made with leftovers and those changed every time.
   A few years ago, I discovered pho that delicious Vietnamese soup. My husband and I eat this after mass every Sunday.  A mom of one of the kids I was teaching many years ago taught me to make Greek Lemon Soup. This was the soup my kids got after  they had been sick with a tummy bug. I make soups, all kinds of soups but this recipe is for a soup that has the wonder food kale in  it.  Admittedly, I had not used kale when cooking.  Other greens appear often in my cooking but kale ...not so much. I like kale a lot and I am including it in more of my recipes. Since we are expecting  a mother of all storms  tonight, I started a pot of soup.  Enjoy!!!!

1 tbsp of EVOO to cover bottom of a large pot.
1 bunch of kale coarsely chopped (easiest to clean if you soak it in water and let the grit sink to the bottom)
1 large onion coarsely chopped
1 red bell pepper coarsely chopped
4 stalks of celery coarsely chopped (use the little tender inside stalks with the leaves)
1/2 of a fennel bulb coarsely chopped  (You can chop the ferny top part and save for garnish.)
5 cloves of garlic chopped pretty fine
4 bay leaves
1 tsp. of dried oregano ( double if using fresh)
1 pinch of cumin (I use ground)
a pinch of nutmeg (I use fresh)
1 heaping TBSP of chili powder (I used cayenne)
1 cup of ham bits (I used leftover ham although you could use a ham hock.)
2 cans of white beans (If you want to soak beans overnight use about 2 cups dry beans. You can do a quick soak.  Follow directions on the bean packaging.)
6 cups of liquid... mix it up ( use broth, water, wine etc.) This time I used 4 cups broth, 1 cup of white wine and 1 cup water
s/p to taste
Optional
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 sour cream
fennel fronds


1.  Coat the bottom of a pot with oil. Heat should be med/high flame.
2.  Add the next 6 ingredients. Stir until kale is limp.  Takes awhile.  (5 to  10 min.)
3.  Add next 5 ingredients.  Stir before you add the next.
4.  Add the ham
5.  Add the cans of beans with the liquid.  Stir.
6.  Last, add your 6 cups of liquid. Stir. Bring to a boil.  Boil for a couple of minutes.   Lower heat and simmer for  as long as you'd like. The soup is ready to eat now but tastes best if allowed to sit and get all comfy with itself.  Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.
I like to garnish this with some sour cream, Greek plain yogurt (equal parts) mixed with a little s/p and then fennel fronds. Just a tad on the top.
Serve with crusty bread.