Lean Times

Times are so lean, I'm even afraid to spend money on pictures for my blog. While that's not really true (posting pictures is free!), the economic crisis is no joke. The number of my friends who are out work is very frightening, and things don't seem like they are going to let up anytime soon. This soup is super cheap, it's very healthy, and surprisingly good. This recipe makes 4 quarts of soup, and costs no more than $7 for all of the ingredients.

Kale & Cabbage White Bean Soup

1 cup dried white beans (navy or canellini)
6 cups water
1 boullion cube (or 1 cup of organic broth)
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 red potato, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 leek, diced
4 cups thinly sliced kale (about 1/2 bunch)
4 cups chopped Savoy cabbage (about 1 pound)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 large garlic cloves, minced

To prepare the soup, sort and wash the beans, and place in a bowl. Cover the beans with water to 2 inches above beans; cover and let stand overnight. Drain the beans the next morning, rinse, and place in a pan with 3 cups of water and a generous pinch of salt, boil, and cook until tender. Heat the olive oil in a stockpot over medium-low heat. Add onion, leek, and garlic and saute until the onion just begins to brown. Add the potato and saute a bit more until the potato is soft. Stir in 1 teaspoon salt, kale, cabbage, chopped parsley, pepper. Add cooked beans and about 6 cups of water, along with the broth (I used champignon, or mushroom, broth). Season with salt and pepper to taste.