Greens, White Beans and Tomatoes Soup

Serves 3 to 4

I love soup and some of my favorites are those that use fresh greens. The problem is that I do not always have fresh greens on hand when I decide to make soup. Fortunately, I always have packages of hearty greens in my freezer, such as kale, turnip or collard greens, that I can add to soups or serve as side dishes. That is why I created this soup. I did not have fresh greens in the refrigerator, but I did have frozen kale. I could not decide if I wanted my Greens, White Beans and Pasta Soup or my Bean and Kale Soup, both of which are in the similar and related recipes. So, I combined some of the ingredients and seasonings from each and came up with this. It is a quick, easy, healthy and delicious main dish soup that I have made many times since. For a vegetarian version, omit the pancetta.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 ounce pancetta, chopped (optional)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 medium celery rib, chopped
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) whole tomatoes, crushed with hands, with juices
• 4 cups water
• 1 can (about 15.5 ounces) cannellini or other white bean, preferably low-sodium, rinsed and drained
• One package (about 16 ounces) frozen kale, or similar hearty green
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 2 teaspoons dried marjoram leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup small pasta, such as elbows, ditalini or little shells
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add the oil, then the pancetta. Cook until lightly browned. Add the onions, carrots and celery; cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook another minute. Add the tomatoes and water, stirring to scrape up any brown bits in the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil, then stir in the beans, kale, bay leaf, thyme, marjoram, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the kale is tender, about 20 minutes depending on the type of greens. Bring the soup back to a boil and stir in the pasta. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the pasta is tender, about 10 minutes. The soup can be served immediately or kept warm over very low heat, passing the grated cheese separately.

Notes: When my family has soup, we eat a lot and have just a slice or two of crusty bread on the side so, for us, this usually only serves three people. For most, especially when serving with sandwiches, it will serve four. If you want to increase the amount just a little, add about one cup water and up to an additional one-quarter cup pasta.