Howdy all, hope you had a nice weekend! I woke up to dark and stormy skies on Saturday, but shook my fist at Mother Nature and decided to move forward with my morning plans anyways – strolling through the Farmers’ Market with my Mom!
We hadn’t been in weeks, and were positivity tickled to find that we practically had the place to ourselves. It seemed most chose to stay at home rather than risk getting caught in the rain.
More samples for us! ;) (PS have you ever had a yellow watermelon? It was my first time, and I was shocked at how sweet it was. Nearly double that of a red. So yum!)
I stocked up on hedge apples to keep Fall buggies out of the house (place next to all doors that lead outside on a small piece of foil. Totally works!)
And got a Spinach & Cheese Pupusa to share with my Mom!
We felt guilty about eating this much masa and cheese at 8:30am for about 14 seconds before completely demolishing it.
MUWAHAHA!
The rain eventually came later that morning, so Ben and I spent the remainder of the day strolling through the mall, reading, and watching The Notebook, which sent me into an emotional tailspin. I had never seen it before and have never felt so happy yet depressed at the same time. What a tear jerker! (And HELL-o, where has Ryan Gosling been all my life?)
Blue skies prevailed this morning so Ben and I decided to get one final use out of our summer fishing licenses and try our luck at snagging a few swimmers at a nearby lake.
I might have completely made this up, but I feel like the day after rain is the best time to go fishing.
Actually, I probably did make that up because we got nothing. Zip. Zero. Zilch. AGAIN! Tons of nibbles, but in the end our hooks got more action from the pond weeds than the blue gills (which I could see in the water, yet they wanted nothing to do with my bait.) Little jerks.
A little kitchen therapy had me feeling better. I made a big pot of Tuscan Kale & White Bean Soup when we got home.
If you live in Iowa then you know it was about 90 degrees today, but I literally could not help myself. Saturday’s dreary weather had me itching to make something cozy, and I am so into Fall foods right now it’s not even funny. If you had one sip of this soup, you’d totally get it too!
Chopped carrots, onions and garlic mingle with fresh kale, creamy white beans, salty kielbasa, and savory parmesan cheese in this easy, flavorful soup recipe. I can already tell I’ll be making it all winter long, using the kale I’ve been chopping and freezing from my garden!
Start the Tuscan Kale & White Bean Soup by sauteing 3 sliced carrots and 1/2 chopped onion in 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a big soup pot over medium heat. When the veggies are tender, add 2 cloves minced garlic and 1/2lb polska kielbasa (double check the package to make sure it’s gluten-free. Johnsonville is!)
Once the kielbasa is golden brown add 4 cups chicken broth into the pot while scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to loosen up all the yummy brown bits. Mmmm.
Next add 1 bay leaf, and a small piece of parmesan cheese rind. Whole Foods sells leftover parmesan cheese rinds (for pennies!) for this exact use – adding tons of flavor and a nice richness to soup. So next time you whiddle through a wedge, be sure to save the rind in the freezer to add to your next pot.
Then add 1 can drained & rinsed Great Northern Beans, and 4 cups chopped kale. FYI cannellini beans are traditionally used in Tuscan White Bean Soup, but I like Great Northern’s better because they’re smaller and more creamy.
Place a lid on the pot and simmer until the kale is tender, about 15 minutes, stirring once or twice.
Finally, sprinkle in 2 Tablespoons parmesan cheese then give the pot one big final stir.
That’s all she wrote!
Serve with an extra sprinkling of parmesan cheese, if you please, then dig in!
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Tuscan Kale & White Bean Soup
Description
Tuscan Kale & White Bean Soup is hearty yet light, and packed with vegetables and kielbasa. The perfect cold-weather soup!
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 3 carrots, sliced
- salt & pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, minced or microplaned
- 1/2 lb gluten-free kielbasa, cut into bite-sized pieces (I used Johnsonville brand)
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 can great northern beans, rinsed and drained
- 2x2" Parmesan cheese rind
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cups chopped kale (remove leaves from stems/center vein before chopping)
- 2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
Directions
- Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add carrots and onions then season with salt and pepper and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds then add kielbasa and cook for 3 more minutes.
- Add chicken broth, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen brown bits, then add beans, Parmesan cheese rind, and bay leaf. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Stir in kale then place a lid on the pot, turn heat down to medium-low, and simmer until kale is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in Parmesan cheese then taste and adjustment seasonings if necessary.
- Remove bay leaf (Parmesan cheese rind can stay in - it will continue to flavor leftovers) then serve with additional Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top, if desired.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Light yet hearty, Tuscan Kale & White Bean Soup is perfectly satisfying and seriously, obnoxiously good. Ben and I both gave it two thumbs up.
Plus it’ll just get better and better as it sits. Awesome for leftover lunches with an apple or salad.
Well folks – it’s time to go unwind before the start of another crazy week! Have a great night!
~~~~~
What was the highlight of your weekend?Â
Vita @ Juicer Depot 08.26.2012
The soup looks so good for the soon to be fall season. And I love the pictaure of the flowers. So many pretty colors.
Jill Sullivan 08.26.2012
The highlight of my weekend? PRing my 5K…25:20! :)
kim@hungryhealthygirl.com 08.26.2012
The farmer’s market looked great today! Those flowers are my favorites and I’ve never tasted yellow watermelon either. I’m going to be on the lookout for that now. I’m so with you on The Notebook. My husband absolutely never crys or tears up and it about had him cryig. ;) When it cools down just a bit I will definitely be making that soup.
Carole m 08.26.2012
Ohhhhhnoooooo. U are killing me with the downtown farmers market pics. We moved from DSM last year to Wisconsin and hands down the farmers market is what we miss the most. Pupusas – our must have each week! # 2 thing we miss? Wok in Motion-yum.
Nicole 08.26.2012
This soup looks fantastic! I’m going to make it the first day the temperature dips below 0 degrees C (32 degrees F for Americans).
Weekend highlight: sleeping in! In preparation for a super crazy work week coming up!
Lindsey 08.26.2012
Yummy! Can’t wait to try this soup! I will be waiting until its a little cooler… :)
Allison 08.26.2012
I saw had some of the yellow watermelon at the farmers market yesterday also! I asked the guy working and he said it was supposed to be orange but it turned out yellow…ummm like orange watermelon is normal? It definitely was good!
Elizabeth 08.26.2012
Where are those hedge balls and yellow watermelon?! I was there sat am too… I want to find those next sat!
Iowa Girl Eats 08.27.2012
The yellow watermelon was kind of near Dos Rios, and I think I got the hedge apples on the side street just south of the main band!
Kirbie 08.26.2012
Two things…1. How have you been missing out on yellow watermelon all this time? Sooo delish! and 2. WHAT?! you have never seen The Notebook before Saturday? You clearly have been living in some sort of cave, must be too much kitchen time trying all the yummy recipes you post for my dining pleasure!
Amy 08.26.2012
That looks like a great farmers market. Where is it located? We just moved to Clive (from Kansas) about a month ago, I haven’t had a chance to make it to any farmers markets yet. Thanks for the recipe! I just started soaking some white beans for minestrone, but I think I’ll try this instead.
Iowa Girl Eats 08.27.2012
Oh fun – welcome to town! It’s in downtown, on Court Ave!
Amy 08.27.2012
Thank you!
Nancy 08.26.2012
I too have just recently found your website and I’m hooked! I made the chewy cherry granola bars today and the quinoa salad with the lemon-vinegarette, which I absolutely love!!! Looking forward to a granola bar tomorrow! While I was browsing through the site I came upon a coconut chicken chili that had amazing looking pics, but no recipe…would you consider posting that?? I love looking at all the recipes and that fact that they are so nutritious is a bonus!! Thanks for sharing your talent!
Iowa Girl Eats 08.27.2012
Sorry about that – the link to the recipe was kind of buried in the post! Here you go! http://www.bhg.com/recipe/chili/coconut-chicken-chili/
Cheryl 08.26.2012
OK, how are you freezing your kale? Blanching first or just chopping and freezing? I cut a huge batch today and have no plans for kale this week so freezing would be a really good option.
Iowa Girl Eats 08.27.2012
I just cut and freeze. I do the same thing with spinach for my green monster spinach smoothie!
terri 08.26.2012
Hiking in the woods yesterday with my husband and dog and lazying around today listening to the rain were the highlights of my weekend. AND making your tomato sauce in the crockpot for dinner tonight. It was GREAT! The recipe is a keeper. We’ll be making it again.
Trisha 08.26.2012
I thought I was the only woman on Earth who has yet to watch The Notebook. Well, now I probably am for sure. I read the book twice & bawled my eyes out each time. When the movie came out I just couldn’t bring myself to deal with the emotions of it on screen. Someday when I need a good cry I’ll watch it. And then I won’t be able to leave the house with my puffy red eyes for approximately 24 hours…
Highlight of my weekend is right now, chillin’ on the couch with my boys. :)
Jim Simmons 08.26.2012
filed this one away for later.looks great
Samantha 08.26.2012
I discovered your blog this past week and have already made three of your recipes– ALL DELICIOUS. Can’t wait to try more!
Btw, the picture of the oozy, cheesy forkful is making me drool……..
Mrs. McFall 08.26.2012
omg – PUPUSAS! Wish I could make ’em at home!!! :)
Amy 08.26.2012
The highlight(s) of my wknd……….
Breakfast out at a new place, Sat. a.m. with my mom and treating her to it:)
Enjoying my new Nook Tablet! Love it……………I am never the first w/ any gadget, but it’s fun when you get your own!
And getting a great walk in this afternoon………perfect weather in MN! Almost too hot, ha.
Blog is the New Black 08.26.2012
Totes reminds me of a soup that my aunts makes! Looks great. So ready for fall and foods like this!
shandy 08.26.2012
Were you at Saylorville? Have you been to Maffitt Reservoir before? You can fish there and it’s absolutely beautiful. I just found it myself.
Iowa Girl Eats 08.26.2012
We were at Maffitt today! So obnoxious – there were TONS of fish jumping in and out of the water, but none for us!
shandy 08.26.2012
That’s frustrating! At least it was pretty out there. :) I can’t wait to take my camera back out there when the trees start turning…or maybe before. It was just so peaceful there.
Iowa Girl Eats 08.26.2012
Totally – that’s what we were just saying today too. It won’t be long now! :)