Kidney Bean and Kale: The Superfoods Soup

I love making soups for my family. It's such a simple way to make sure my kids are getting great nutrition in their diets. I love knowing exactly just how much fresh ingredients are packed into every spoonful. This recipe focuses in on some of the super-foods I want to make sure my kids are getting. The flavour is so out-of-this-world delicious that they've wolfed it down before they even notice how healthy it is for them.

Why I love it:

Red kale: How can you argue with any vegetable that's cholestrol-lowering, cancer-fighting and detoxyifying? A superfood among superfoods!

Red kidney beans: A Mayo Clinic superfood that is a good source of iron, phosphorus and potassium. They're also an excellent low-fat source of protein and dietary fiber. Red beans also contain phytonutrients that help the body fight disease.

Why they love it:

It's delicious!

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 stalk of celery, chopped

1/2 tsp dried rosemary leaves

150 ml tomato paste

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 litres free-range chicken or vegetable broth

1 19-oz. can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 19-oz cans white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 Parmesan rind

1 bunch red kale, center ribs removed, chopped

300g Italian chicken sausage
1 tbsp cider vinegar
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery and rosemary and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 6 minutes. Add the tomato paste and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the broth, beans, kale, and Parmesan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.

Heat the 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned on all sides and cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Slice the sausage and add it to the soup. Return the soup to a simmer and cook 5 minutes more. Stir the cider vinegar into the soup and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serves: 8