Tuscan White Bean and Kale Soup

Directions

1. Sauté the diced bacon in a large French oven over medium heat until crisp, remove from the pot to a paper towel lined plate. Add the olive oil, diced onions, celery, and carrots to the pot and cook for 7-10 minutes stirring occasionally until softened but not browned.
2. Meanwhile, mince the garlic very finely using a microplane grater so that it forms a paste. Add the garlic paste and red pepper flakes to the vegetables and sauté for 1-2 minutes until the garlic becomes fragrant and mellow.
3. Next, use a sieve to drain and rinse the cannellini beans. Strip the leaves from the sprigs of rosemary reserving the stems and finely mince the leaves. Remove the tough center ribs of the kale and roughly chop the leaves into large pieces.
4. Add the chicken broth, cannellini beans, rosemary stems, parmesan rind, and bay leaves to the pot. Increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a low boil for 5 minutes. Reduce to a bare simmer, add chopped kale, cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the kale wilts.
5. Remove and discard the bay leaves and rosemary stems. Ladle 2 cups of soup into a blender or food processor and process at low speed until smooth. Return pureed soup to the pot and stir to combine. Taste and add kosher salt and pepper as needed.
6. Serve the soup with a sprinkle of the reserved chopped rosemary leaves, diced bacon, grated parmesan cheese, and a final drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. A slice or two of rustic bread won’t go amiss either. Adapted from 30 Minute Tuscan White Bean Soup by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt via Serious Eats