Easy Kale Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon salted butter (or olive oil)
• 1 large white onion, diced
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
• 2 28-ounce cans diced fire roasted tomatoes
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 15-ounce cans white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 ½ teaspoons dried fennel seed, crushed with fingers, divided
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 2 bunches Tuscan kale (or 1 large bunch curly kale), chopped
• Shredded Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese for serving, optional

Instructions

1. Prepare the onion and carrot as noted above.
2. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and butter (or all olive oil) over medium high heat. Add the onion and carrots and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until tender.
3. Add the diced tomatoes, vegetable broth and beans. Bring to a steady simmer, then add 1 teaspoon of the fennel seed, along with the dried oregano, smoked paprika and kosher salt. Simmer 12 minutes.
4. Add the kale and simmer additional 2 to 3 minutes until the kale is tender. Add the additional ½ teaspoon crushed fennel seed. Taste a cooled spoonful and add up to ½ teaspoon additional kosher salt (depending on the salt level of your broth and beans), until the flavor pops.
5. Serve immediately with grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese. Store refrigerated for 3 days or frozen up to 3 months