Kale and White Bean Stew

Kale and beans are something I wish my kids liked more. However, for some reason, they do like this stew! Sarah makes it with chicken as pictured.  It calls for fresh herbs, which I am sure are wonderful…but being the queen of improvising, I used dry herbs and thought it was still great. Sometimes that extra trip to the grocery store with all of the kids just isn’t worth it 🙂

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds kale leaves (or 1 very large bundle), center ribs and stems removed

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1 cup carrots, peeled and chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

1 cup shallots (about 4), chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 cup dry white wine

2 (15 ounce) cans white beans, rinsed and drained

4 cups vegetable broth

3 fresh thyme sprigs

1 bay leaf

1 Tablespoon sherry wine vinegar

2 Tablespoons assorted chopped fresh herbs (such as tarragon, parsley and chives)

Directions:

1. Cook kale in large pot of boiling water for 1 minute. Drain. Transfer to a bowl of ice water to cool. Drain. Squeeze out the excess water and then coarsely chop.
2. Heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat.
3. Add chopped carrots, celery, shallots, and garlic; cook until soft (do not let them get brown), stirring, about 15 minutes. 
4. Add white wine and simmer until liquid is slightly reduced, about 7 minutes. 
5. Add white beans, broth, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes. 
6. Add kale and simmer for 5 more minutes. Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Mix in sherry wine vinegar and chopped fresh herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with a good loaf of crusty bread.