A generous amount of kale gives this soup a nutritional gold medal, while the duo of potato and blended cashews makes each spoonful deliciously creamy. And we’re so keen on kale, we’ve even worked it into a garnish in the form of crunchy greens. If desired, herbes de Provence can be replaced with Italian seasoning or za’atar.
Tip
You can use store-bought kale chips to garnish this soup or make a batch of your own. Wash and thoroughly dry about 4 cups (1 L) roughly torn kale leaves. Gently massage greens with 2 tsp (10 mL) extra-virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil and a couple pinches of salt, and spread out on a baking sheet. Bake kale chips in 300 F (150 C) oven for 10 minutes; rotate pan and bake for another 5 minutes, or until crispy. Be careful not to burn the leaves.
Cream of Kale Soup
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) raw cashews
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) grapeseed oil or sunflower oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
- 1 large Yukon Gold potato, peeled and chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tsp (10 mL) herbes de Provence seasoning
- 1/2 tsp (2 mL) black pepper
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) cayenne
- 4 cups (1 L) low-sodium vegetable broth
- 6 cups (1.5 L) chopped kale
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 2 cups (500 mL) kale chips (see Tip)
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
Nutrition
Per serving:
- calories243
- protein7g
- fat14g
- saturated fat2g
- trans fat0g
- carbohydrates26g
- sugars3g
- fibre3g
- sodium395mg
Directions
01
Cover cashews with water and let soak for 2 or more hours. Drain cashews and place in blender along with 1/2 cup (125 mL) water, or enough to just barely cover cashews. Blend until smooth and remove from blender.
02
Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Place onion and salt in pan and heat until onion has softened and is darkening, about 6 minutes. Add potato and garlic; heat for 2 minutes. Place herbes de Provence, black pepper, and cayenne in pan; heat for 30 seconds. Pour broth in pan, bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, covered, until potato is fork-tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in chopped kale and lemon juice and remove from heat; let sit for 10 minutes to allow greens to soften.
03
Place soup in blender and blend until smooth. Return to pan and stir in cashew cream. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
04
Place soup in serving bowls and serve topped with kale chips and a drizzle of olive oil.
Matthew Kadey, MSc, RD, is a dietitian, nutrition writer, and recipe developer. He is also the author of Rocket Fuel (VeloPress, 2016) and Muffin Tin Chef (Ulysses Press, 2012).
