Winter. The best time, hands down, for soup. Once the temperatures begin to drop, crockpots come out and the soup swaps begin.

I’m always looking for an excuse to use my vegetable stock. This soup does not disappoint. I had some kale I had just harvested, so this was a perfect fit. The good news is that most of the ingredients are ones you already have on hand, like carrots, olive oil, onion, celery, and potatoes. It’s vegetarian and gluten-free, as well.

Oh, and did I mention that besides easy to put together, this is a healthy stew? It’s chock full of ingredients that are good for your body and will help fight off all those winter-time ailments, including the common cold and the flu while also helping to keep you hydrated–extra important in the colder months to help protect against chapped skin and lips.

I recently saw a dear friend who had had dinner with a family from the Azores, a set of islands 800 or so miles off the coast of Portugal. This stew is similar to the one they had, native to that region.

So.. let’s get to it.

First, wash a rib of celery, a carrot, and chop. Chop a medium-sized onion. Wash a bunch of kale and remove the stems and set aside. Drain your navy beans and rinse; set aside.  Kale and navy beans are both very rich sources of calcium and other phytonutrients, and navy beans are also packed with protein.

Peel your potatoes and place in the water (or vegetable stock–see my previous post on how I make my vegetable stock) to boil; while this is going on, go ahead and heat your skillet with olive oil and saute your vegetables until tender.  Once your potatoes are tender, mash 1/2 the contents. Add the celery, onion, and carrot to the pot with the potatoes and add salt and pepper to taste.  Add the navy beans, the kale, and red wine vinegar and simmer until the kale is tender.

Serve. This will pair well with some garlic bread or crusty French bread. Wasn’t that easy?

Kale, Navy Bean, and Potato Stew:

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 rib celery, chopped

1 medium-sized Carrot, peeled and chopped

4 cups of water or vegetable stock

8 oz Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1/2-inch pieces

salt/pepper to taste

1 bunch kale, stems removed

15-oz can of navy beans, drained and rinsed

2 tsp red wine vinegar

1) Place potatoes in stock pot or dutch oven and add water or vegetable stock. Turn on high until boiling, then set to simmer until partially tender, approx 10 minutes.

2) While potatoes are beginning to boil, heat the olive oil in a skillet on medium-high heat. Saute the onion, carrot, and celery until tender.

3) Once the potatoes have simmered and are partially tender, mash 1/2 the contents and then add the sauteed vegetables.

4) Add the salt, pepper, kale, navy beans, and red wine vinegar.

5) Simmer on medium-low heat until the kale is tender, approx 6-8 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!  If desired, add crackers or French bread or garlic bread.

Let me know what you think! Don’t forget to make happy memories in your kitchen this week!