White Bean, Squash and Kale Stew

Heat oil in large soup pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Season with salt, pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Cook until vegetables are soft, about 8 minutes.

Increase heat slightly. Squash the whole tomatoes with your hands over the pot to break them down. Pour in the remaining tomato juice from the can into the pot. Stir with the rest of the vegetables for about 3-5 minutes.

Add chicken stock, beans, potatoes and butternut squash. Bring soup to a boil. Then reduce heat down to a simmer. Add Parmesan cheese rind to soup. Cook until potatoes and squash are cooked through, about 10-15 minutes.

Stir in torn kale leaves and cook for another 5 minutes until leaves are wilted.

Remove cheese rind. At this point if you’d like to serve this as a main entree you may want to add some pasta into the stew. Turn up heat to medium and add in a small pasta like Ditalini. Stir continuously till the pasta is cooked through so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Use your package instructions for timing guideline.

Season stew with salt and pepper and top with grated cheese before serving.

Adapted from Whole Living.