Well, here in New England we are mostly all back online from the October snow storm that broke our trees into pieces. Friends and family have been keeping their frozen goods in coolers, heating water in beer brewing equipment, and cooking on gas grills for a week or more. On the flip side of all of the stress and anxiety caused by lack of heat and power, folks really pulled together, reached out to one another, shared their homes, their showers, hot meals. Out of the bad came some good.

This recipe is good for New Englanders this week on two counts: 1) it’s vegetarian, so if you lost all of your meats in the great non-electric thaw you can still make dinner and 2) if you’ve still got CSA veggies coming in (like me), this is a great way to use them. A bit of herbs (dried can certainly be substituted for fresh), a can of beans, a container of broth/stock, and your squash and kale and you’ve got a hearty soup that’s packed with flavor and nutrients. If you’re still cooking on the grill, and you’ve got a side-burner, you’re in luck.

Ingredients

  • 2 sprigs parsley
  • 2 sprigs thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 cup apple cider
  • 1 quart chicken broth
  • 4 cups chopped kale
  • 2 cups white beans, rinsed & drained
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 pound peeled and seeded winter squash, cut into 1-inch chunks (I used a combination of acorn and butternut)

Directions

  1. Heat the olive oil in your soup pot over a medium heat. Add the onion and herbs and cook until the onions are just beginning to soften
  2. Add the garlic and continue to cook until the onions are translucent
  3. Add the cider and broth and bring to a boil
  4. Add the kale, beans, salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes
  5. Add the squash and cook until just tender, about 10-20 minutes more depending on which varieties of squash you used

This recipe was inspired by a post on Whole Foods market’s site.

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