Kale and Butter Beans Soup with Pesto

This is perfect for cold weather, one of the best ways to cook with kale. It's a soup dish with the most wonderful crunchy texture from kale. The addition of basil pesto takes this traditional lentil-base soup to the next level. Serve hot with shaved Parmesan cheese.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 35 mins
• Calories: 417 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• ¼ cup olive oil, divided
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 onion, diced small
• 2 tablespoons basil pesto
• 1 carrot, diced small
• 1 tomato, diced small
• 2 links Merguez sausage, casing removed and discarded
• 1 (16 ounce) can butter beans (large lima beans), drained and rinsed
• 4 leaves kale, stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped
• 10 leaves fresh basil leaves

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat; cook and stir onion, carrot, and garlic in hot oil until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes.

Step 2

Break sausage meat into small pieces and stir into vegetable mixture; cook and stir until meat is slightly golden, about 5 minutes. Stir butter beans, water, and tomato into sausage mixture; bring to a simmer and cook until tomatoes soften, about 5 minutes.

Step 3

Stir kale and pesto into the sausage mixture; cook and stir until kale wilts slightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat and stir basil leaves into soup.