I have a busy day planned at the studio so I knew today’s lunch needed to be quick-and-easy! With that in mind I made a hearty soup for dinner last night knowing I could send the leftovers to school for lunch. The soup I made contains kale which I talked about in my last post as being one of the best vegetables in season this month. I love kale because it’s loaded with iron and it’s so easy to prepare…especially when you’re throwing it in a soup. The recipe I made last night is one I found on this site:
Kale and Bean Soup:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 medium yellow onion , chopped
- 4 cups raw kale , chopped (be sure to remove the spiny sections, there won’t be many, but those that remain will be tough)
- 4 cups chicken broth, divided
- 2 (15 ounce) cans cannellini beans or 2 (15 ounce) cans navy beans , undrained, split
- 2 (15 ounce) cans sliced carrots , undrained
- 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons Italian herb seasoning
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup chopped parsley
- shredded parmesan cheese
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In a large pot, heat olive oil
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Add garlic and onion; saute until soft and the onion is transparent
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Wash the kale, leaving small droplets of water. Saute, stirring, until wilted and a lovely emerald green, about 15 minutes
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Add 3 cups of the broth, reserving 1 cup, 2 cups of the beans, reserving 1 cup, all of the carrots, tomatoes, herbs, salt and pepper
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Simmer 5 minutes
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In a blender or food processor, mix the reserved beans and broth until smooth
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Stir into the soup to thicken it nicely
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Simmer 15 more minutes
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Ladle into bowls; sprinkle with chopped parsley and shredded parmesan
Ingredients
- 2 1⁄2 cups blanched almond flour
- 1⁄2 tsp salt
- 1⁄2 tsp baking soda
- 2 eggs
- 1⁄4 cup butter
Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, salt, and baking soda. In a medium bowl, whisk together the butter and eggs. Stir the wet ingredients into the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Drop 1/4 cups of batter 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a biscuit comes out clean. Let cool briefly on the baking sheet.
Makes about 6 biscuits
This morning all I had to do was warm up the soup and throw it in a thermos and it was ready to go. A great quick-and-easy lunch option especially on a cold, winter day! Today’s lunch includes: Kale and bean soup, carrots/hummus, grapes, cheese, almond flour drop biscuit, Quest cinnamon roll bar.
I’m not suggesting hard work is the only way to happiness, but it is certainly a contributing factor in my opinion. Whether it’s schoolwork, teamwork, community involvement, whatever it might be we want our children to give the best of themselves. We don’t want our children defined by how smart they are or how good they are at sports; instead we would much rather have them known for their work ethic. This trait will serve them well as they learn to take responsibility for themselves and will continue to provide them with a sense of accomplishment and happiness throughout their lives. This concept is so important to us so you’ll find the words “integrity”, “self-reliance”, and most importantly “hard work” displayed in various forms around our house to serve as inspiration and motivation for all of us.
