I feel like being rather lazy this weekend, to hibernate away from the cold drizzle. On days where you need the main light on during the peak sunlight hours, I find it particularly difficult to remember that Spring does come. That soon I won’t come home from work in the dark, and that I’ll venture outside without a jacket on – but today that feels awfully far away.

Cannelloni, Tomato and Kale Soup

When I’m in this sort of mood I feel like mostly eating chocolate and cakes, but I decided to start my weekend cooking and baking with a healthy savoury comfort food. Most definitely a winter warmer, enjoy piping hot with lots of fresh ground black pepper.

Cannellini beans, Tomato and Kale Soup Recipe

~ serves four for lunch

  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 2 large carrots, sliced
  • 1 large leek
  • 1/4 fennel bulb, optional – I had some leftovers
  • 1 clove of garlic, sliced
  • 1 stock cube, I used pork
  • 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tin of Cannellini beans
  • 1/2 a bunch of kale
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil

Over a moderate heat add the olive oil to the pan alongside the onions, carrots, fennel and leek. Cook until starting to soften around ten minutes, turn the heat down if they start to brown.

Add the garlic, stock cube and around 4 cups of water until the vegetables are entirely submerged in the water, then add the tinned tomatoes. Leave to simmer with the lid on for around 45 minutes (or in my case the length of time needed to clean the bathroom).

You can leave the soup like this, off the heat until you are almost ready to serve.

Ten minutes before serving (15 minutes if it has entirely cooled), add the chopped kale and the cannellini beans.