White Bean and Baby Kale Stew with Baguette Croutons

Its easier than ever to eat your greens.  While some people find regular kale a bit hearty for their taste, tender baby greens like kale and arugula, that are becoming readily available, and add a much lighter green touch to a bean soup or stew. They cook up in literally minutes, and can also be used raw in salads. They are a perfect match for a fast weeknight bean stew.

And since we are going with quick and light in this dish, we use fresh tomatoes that are tossed in at the last minute, just to warm up.  No breaking these beauties down by cooking.  No gorgeous fresh tomatoes in your market yet?  No problem - a good fresh salsa could also be used.
2 carrots, finely diced, about 1 cup
4 celery heart stalks, sliced, about 1 cup
1 onion, finely diced, about 1 cup
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp dried red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 quart broth, vegetable or chicken
1 can Navy beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups baby kale leaves
2 ripe plum tomatoes, diced

12 1-inch slices baguette bread, sliced on a bias

Heat about two tablespoons olive oil in a 3-quart pot. Add the carrots, celery and onion and sauté for about 10 minutes, stirring from time to time. The veggies should be softening and browning up quite a bit.

This caramelizing adds a great deal of flavor to this dish and is a critical step. Patience, Grasshopper.

Add the garlic, red pepper and thyme, and cook another 5 minutes. Add the broth and beans and bring to a boil. Stir, reduce heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the broiler. Brush the baguette slices with olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Broil 3-5 minutes, 3-inches from broiler to brown the slices.

This is a full-time job for a few minutes; keep watch as the bread can burn very quickly.

As the croutons cook, fold in the kale to the beans and allow to wilt for 2-3 minutes. When the baguette croutons are done, add the tomatoes to the beans and stir to mix gently, and warm the tomatoes. Place two baguette croutons in each or four wide soup bowls. Top generously with bean mixture and broth.

Serves 4.