About 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients:
1 small beef bone
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes
2 Tbsp olive oil
¾ cup chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 tsp fennel seeds
1 small fennel bulb, diced (about 1 cup)
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced potatoes
2 tsp dried or 1 Tbsp fresh thyme
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can cooked white beans, drained
3 cups vegetable stock
2-3 cups loosely chopped kale
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Salt, black pepper and red pepper to taste
Instructions:
In a small bowl, soak the sun-dried tomatoes in enough boiling water to cover.
Add olive oil to soup pot on medium-low heat and cover for 2-3 minutes. Add the beef bone and cook until browned. Add the onions, garlic, and celery and cook for about 5 minutes.
Add the fennel seeds and diced fennel bulb and cook for about 3 minutes. Stir in the carrots, potatoes, thyme and cook for additional 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, beans, and vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the potatoes are just tender. If the soup is too thick, add more stock.
Meanwhile, remove the sun-dried tomatoes from the soaking water and coarsely chop.
Add the kale and sun-dried tomatoes to the pot. Simmer for about 10 minutes, until the kale is tender. Stir in the lemon juice. Season with more salt, black pepper and red pepper to taste.
Cooking Tips:
- Fennel is available in most grocery stores and is abundant in the spring and summer. The white bulb has a faint licorice scent and a refreshing taste.
- Curly kale is now available in most grocery stores. Look for Lacinato kale (also known as Tuscan or Dino kale) which has softer leaves, is less chewy and a less bitter than standard curly kale.