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Collard Greens & White Bean Soup

Name: Collard Greens & White Bean Soup
Prep time: 20

(42 votes, average: 3.69 out of 5)

20 min prep

6 servings

Carrot Icon for Number of Ingredients Size

10 ingredients

This delicious collard greens & white bean soup recipe is a quick and easy way to use dark, leafy green vegetables that contain anti-cancer nutrients. Eaten with a chunk of wholegrain bread, this soup...

1 large bunch young collard greens or 2 small ones, leaves stripped from the hard stems and washed
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 sprig plus 1 teaspoon of fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and chopped
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 large carrot, cut into a small dice
1 medium Yukon Gold potato or other waxy potato, cut into a small dice
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 cups cooked baby lima or other white beans (cannellini or Great Northern), plus their broth or 1 (14-ounce) can, drained and rinsed well, plus ½ cup fresh water
2¼ quarts (9 cups) low-sodium vegetable or chicken stock, or water
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

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Nutrition Facts

Calories

173 cals

Fat

4 g

Saturated Fat

1 g

Polyunsaturated Fat

1 g

Monounsaturated Fat

3 g

Carbohydrates

28 g

Sugar

2 g

Fiber

7 g

Protein

6 g

Sodium

89 mg

Directions

Pull the leaves from their stems. Cut the leaves into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over a medium-high flame until it starts to ripple. Add the rosemary. Let it sizzle for a moment, then add the onion, carrot, and potato. Mix well.
Turn the heat down to medium-low. Cover and sweat the vegetables for 8-10 minutes or until they are soft and the onion is slightly golden. Stir every so often to prevent sticking or burning.
Turn the heat up to medium high. Add the chopped garlic. Stir and cook for another 2 minutes until you start to smell its aroma. Add the collard greens and stir-fry until they start to wilt and soften.
Add the stock and beans, plus their liquid if home-cooked. The beans and vegetables should be well covered with liquid but not drowned. Add a little extra water if needed. Bring the soup to a boil. Partially cover and turn the heat down to low. Simmer, stirring from time to time, for 20-25 minutes or until the greens are very tender.
Adjust seasoning, then cook 5 minutes more. Mash some of the beans against the sides of the pan to thicken the soup slightly. Stir in the chopped parsley and remaining rosemary. Cook 1 minute, then turn off the heat. Let the soup sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Serve drizzled with a little olive oil, if desired.

Chef Tips

For a savory umami flavor, add a grating of fresh Parmesan cheese when you check for seasoning in step 6 — not to add a cheesy taste, rather a savory umami taste to bring out the flavors of the soup. In fact, if you have a piece of parmesan rind, you could add it in to the soup along with the stock in step 5 for the same effect. When you serve the soup you can either discard the rind or dice it up and stir it back into the soup.

If you prefer kale, it works well for this soup, in place of collards.

You can use any small white beans, either dried or canned. If using canned beans, drain and rinse them before adding them to the soup. If you can plan ahead and cook your own basic white beans, it can be a great alternative to the typically over salted canned version. Plus, home cooked ones taste so much better!

Registered Dietitian Approved

All our recipes are created by chefs and reviewed by our Registered Dietitian Kate Ueland, MS, RD, CSO, a board-certified specialist in oncology nutrition, to ensure that each is backed with scientific evidence and follows the guidelines set by the Oncology Nutrition for Clinical Practice, 2nd Ed., published by the Oncology Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group, a professional interest group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.