Get your green fix with this Courgette & Kale Soup

Despite what you may have heard recently kale is most definitely not a faddy food and it makes me a tad sad when I hear people call it that. Kale is a leafy green that’s been around for a long time, was enjoyed by our grandparents and is very high up there on the nutrition scales. It’s no secret that I am not a big fan of kale crisps, but leaving them aside, kale is well worth including in our diets and it can be added to juices, smoothies, salads, stews, curries and soups to name but a few uses. So ignore those dismissing kale as faddy and instead grab a few leaves and give today’s recipe a go.

I made this courgette and kale soup on Monday as I was craving something green and had both courgette and kale that needed using up. I added cannellini beans to make the soup creamy and more filling; they are a good source of plant based protein. It’s generously seasoned with sea salt, black pepper and lemon for a really tasty soup that is just as enjoyable in summer as it is in winter.

If you have tasted kale in a green juice and weren’t crazy about it, don’t let that turn you off. This soup tastes nothing like green juice which granted can take a bit of practice to make appetising. This soup is warming, flavoursome and tasty and it will have you returning for seconds.

Serves 4.

Ingredients

2 tsp coriander seeds

3 spring onions, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 large / 2 small courgettes, sliced

1.5 litres vegetable stock

200g kale leaves with any fibrous stalks removed

1 400g tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

Juice of half a lemon

Sea salt and black pepper to season

Drizzle of olive oil to serve

Method

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over a medium heat. Add the coriander seeds and cook for a minutes, stirring throughout. Add the spring onions, garlic and courgette and stir to coat the vegetables in the oil and coriander seeds. Season with a pinch of sea salt and a little black pepper. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for ten minutes.

Add the vegetable stock and bring to a simmer. Add the kale leaves and cannellini beans, cover and cook for 10 further minutes.

Using an immersion blender, blend into a soup. Taste and season well with sea salt and black pepper and the juice of half a lemon. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a little lemon zest.

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