Vegan White Bean, Kale & Swiss Chard Soup

Technically, spring is here, but the weather still feels like winter. Last March Seattle had 80-degree days and the cherry blossoms were done by this time. Somehow spring has found its balance. Cool weather, grey skies and wet roads - Seattle's traditional spring climate is back. 

Society is shifting. Between using my logic and intuition, I am prepping for an unknown future. One way that I combat hefty expenses is through grocery shopping at home. My refrigerator contained odds and ends of kale, swiss chard, potatoes, celery, carrots and so forth. 

Grocery shopping in my cabinets inspired me to make a soup packed with white beans, greens and parsley. In Germany, I noticed that parsley is one of the main ingredients used in vegetable broth. 

Eating parsley raw is not my favorite but I love it cooked in soups. Parsley, and many herbs, are a misunderstood food. We know its good, but we really don't know how important it is to consume them. 

Parsley has been used for over two-thousand years and is common in Middle Eastern cooking. Parsley naturally flavored this soup with minimal use of bouillon cubes. Vitamin K is an important part of parsley, which aides bone health. The Vitamin K acts a modifier to bone proteins, improving calcium absorption and minimizing calcium excretion in the urine. The kale and swiss chard are the main sources of calcium in this recipe. 

Parsley also contains Myricetin, which lowers blood sugars, aiding in Diabetes health. It is important to get these nutrients from it's whole food form since supplements may not provide the same health benefits. 

Vegan White Bean, Kale & Swiss Chard Soup
​Prep Time: 7 minutes
Cooking Time: 20-25 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients: 
4.5 cups water + 1 bouillon cube (or vegetable broth)
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 swiss chard leaves, chopped
1.5 cup kale, chopped
1 large potato chopped (used russet)
1 can of white beans, drained and washed
1 tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup Italian parsley
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Directions
Prep the vegetables as you add them. Heat the olive oil and add the garlic, followed the the onion, celery and carrot. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, continuously mixing. Next, add the remaining ingredients, except for the white beans. Simmer until the potatoes and vegetables are edible. Add the white beans and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and enjoy warm. 

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