When I left work yesterday, I was so focused on getting to the gym before the craziness of the evening grind that I didn’t even realize how gorgeous the weather was. I’ve been SO good about exercising after work…so much so that Mr. Prevention hasn’t said a word about my second gym membership (!). I actually use both of my memberships several times a week. I can’t say I’ve ever done that before!
Anyway, it wasn’t until I was leaving the gym that I realized it was SO nice outside. Sunny and in the low 60’s. I immediately regretted not exercising outdoors, but just as quickly remembered that I am very much so enjoying reading on the treadmill. I’ve been cruising through the books and I love it. Exercising while reading is much more productive than trying to read before bed…Zzzzz.
With the beautiful weather, I hurried home with Shea and was so thankful that dinner was already in the crock pot – one thing checked off my to-do list! I opened the door to the house and was met with the scent of beautifully seasoned carnitas that had slowly cooked right off the bone all day while we were away. The poor dog was probably drooling and plotting her best chance of making it onto the kitchen island to have at all 6 pounds of meat.
I distracted us all with a bit of time outdoors, sans the jackets, of course. It was needed after the dreary weekend we had.
As I woke up today, the dark skies showed proof that rain was coming and the temperatures returned to the 40’s. Darn. A good day to head to work, I guess.
Also a perfect day for soup!
You’ll just have to take my word on this less-than-attractive soup. The ingredient list is clean as can be and the result could not have been better. This soup far exceeded my expectations and we all fought over the leftovers. I’ve never used the partial pureeing technique with a vegetable and bean-based soup, but it was incredibly effective in creating a creamy finish without any added fat or calories. Make this soup before summer is here – promise me!
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 2 zucchini, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- ¼ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried rosemary
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 (14 oz) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
- 6 cups lascinato kale, ribs removed and chopped (loosely packed)
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
- Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or stock pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the diced onions, carrots, and celery; cook 5 minutes or until softened. Add the diced zucchini and cook an additional 4 minutes.
- Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, thyme, and rosemary; cook for 30-60 seconds or until fragrant. Stir in the broth, beans, and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, stir in the kale, cover and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender (or standard blender blending just a portion of the soup), partially puree the soup to create a thick, creamy texture or to desired consistency.
- Stir in the salt, pepper, sugar, and vinegar. Cook an additional 2-3 minutes and serve hot.
