Vegan White Bean and Kale Soup

Step 1

Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and fry, stirring, until golden brown. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Step 2

Add the onion to the oil and fry until transparent. Then add the carrots, celery, bay leaves and rosemary stems and fry for a couple of minutes until the vegetables are slightly softened.

Step 3

Add the stock and beans, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Use an immersion blender to blend some of the beans, being careful to avoid the bay and rosemary, until you reach the consistency you want. Add the chopped rosemary leaves and kale (or other winter green), cover the pot and simmer until the kale is soft.

Step 4

Remove the pot from the heat, ladle about half a cup of the soup into a bowl and add the miso paste. Stir well to dissolve then add it back into the soup along with the lemon juice. Taste and add salt and pepper, the quantity will depend on how salty your stock and miso paste are – I didn’t add any to mine.

Step 5

Remove the bay and rosemary stems and serve, garnished with the reserved crispy fried garlic and fresh parsley.