Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
• 5 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped from the stems
• 1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon red chili flakes (adjust to taste)
• 2 cans (19 ounces/540 mL each) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (or 4 cups cooked cannellini beans)
• 3 cups loosely packed stemmed and roughly chopped kale
• Juice of ½ lemon

Instructions

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the celery and carrots and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Pour in the vegetable stock, add the bay leaf, thyme, paprika, salt, black pepper, chili flakes, and cannellini beans, and bring to a gentle boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes until the vegetables are cooked and tender, stirring halfway through.
3. Remove the bay leaf. Transfer 4 cups of the soup to a high-speed blender and purée for 10 seconds. Pour the puréed soup back into the pot. Stir in the kale and lemon juice and simmer for another 5 minutes.
4. Ladle the hot soup into bowls. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month.