Tuscan White Bean and Kale Soup

Tips

• Crush the dried rosemary first. Dried rosemary needles stay hard and spiky in a brothy soup. Rub them between your fingers or chop them fine before they go in with the garlic.

• Mash a ladle of beans in the pot. Pressing some cannellini beans against the side while the soup simmers thickens the broth, so it has body without any cream.

• Add the kale only at the end. Three to four minutes wilts it and keeps it green. Simmered with the beans for the full 10 minutes, kale turns drab and stringy.

Swaps

• No dried rosemary? Dried thyme or Italian seasoning in the same amount.

• No canned crushed tomatoes? Canned diced tomatoes, broken up with a spoon as they simmer, or the same weight of passata.

• No vegetable broth? Water with an extra pinch of salt and rosemary. The soup tastes lighter, so season it boldly.

Storage

• Fridge: 3 to 4 days in a sealed container. The beans soak up broth as it sits, so loosen it with water when reheating.

• Freezer: 2 to 3 months for best quality. The kale darkens and softens further.

• Reheat: In a pot over medium heat with a splash of water, stirring until steaming hot (75°C in the center).

Fridge and reheating follow Illinois Extension; freezer times are for quality and follow the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, as on what freezes and what does not.