Slow Cooker Kale, Tomato, and White Bean Soup

Break out the slow cooker and simmer up this veggie-filled soup. Serve it with whole-wheat rolls to easily sop up the delicious broth.

Ingredients

Servings: 4  

• 2 teaspoons canola oil or 2 teaspoons corn oil
• 2 cups sliced carrots (about 5 to 7 medium carrots)
• 1 cup sliced ribs of celery (about 2 ribs)
• 1 cup finely chopped onion, yellow preferred
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1 15.5-ounce can no-salt-added or low-sodium cannellini beans
• 2 14.5-ounce cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes
• 2 1/2 cups fat-free, low-sodium vegetable broth
• 10 to 12 ounces frozen kale
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley, optional

Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat, swirling to coat the bottom. Cook the carrots, celery, and onion for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic. Cook for 1 minute. Transfer to a 3- to 4½-quart slow cooker.
2. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, broth, kale, rosemary, and pepper.
3. Cook, covered, on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours.
4. Carefully take out 2 cups of the soup. Transfer to a food processor or blender. Let cool slightly for about 5 minutes. Process the soup (vent the blender lid) until smooth. (Use caution as the soup and steam are hot and vent the blender lid away from you.)
5. Return the soup to the slow cooker. Stir until well blended. Stir in the lemon juice.
6. Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle with the parsley.

Quick Tips

Cooking tip: Don’t have time to cook the vegetables before adding them to the slow cooker? No worries. Just increase the soup's cooking time by a couple hours to be sure that the vegetables are tender.

Keep it healthy: To get a jumpstart on dinner for those busy weekday nights, prepare the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic ahead of time. Put them in an airtight container and freeze. Just be sure to completely thaw the vegetables before adding them to the slow cooker.

Tip: Chop the carrots and celery in the same size pieces to be sure the vegetables cook evenly.

Source: American Heart Association