I’m not much of a soup-in-the-summer fan but my Main Taste Tester would gladly eat soup any day, any time of the year. He recently asked me to make a brand new soup recipe for supper. Fun fact about me: I’m that weirdo that keep Tim Horton’s selling Iced Cappuccinos year round. I prefer cold drinks always and I have to be either freezing or dying of caffeine deprivation before I consume a hot drink in the summer. Although not stoked at the idea of putting hot soup down the hatch on a warm summers night, I thought on it and made a plan for something quick on the stove top. I really like creating layers of flavor in soups and so I started off with some bacon grease (can a soup be bad, really, when it starts out with bacon grease?) to sauté my veggies in. I kept tossing things in from the fridge and from the pantry. And I came up with this super quick and flavorful soup that came together in less than 30 minutes. It’s got some protein from the beans and turkey, some kale for health and some bacon and parmesan for flavor. I’m getting warm just thinking about it. Meet me for an Iced Capp?

 Easy Kale, White Bean & Bacon Soup

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

•  4 slices thick cut bacon
• ½ large white onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups kale, stems removed and roughly chopped
• 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups leftover cooked turkey or chicken, chopped
• 2 cans white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• Salt & pepper to taste, if needed

Instructions:

In a large soup pot over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Take the bacon from the pot and put it on a paper towel lined plate to cool. In the same bacon pot, add onion and garlic, cooking for a few minutes until fragrant and starting to soften. Add the kale and cook until starting to wilt. Add the stock, turkey (or chicken) and beans. Bring to a boil and then down low to a simmer cooking for 10 minutes or so until everything is heated through. Before serving, stir in the parmesan. Season with salt and pepper if necessary (I didn’t need salt). Ladle soup into bowls, crumble the cooked bacon on top and serve.