- Prep time:1 hour (plus soaking time)
- Cooking time:2 hours (plus overnight soaking of beans)
- Recipe serves:6
Slurp Happy :) Nothing beats a bowl of comforting, warming soup in Winter, simple, soothing, satisfying!! Perfumed by rosemary and fresh bay and the added beautiful benefits of home-made chicken bone broth which is deeply nourishing, a rich source of minerals, amino acids and proteins that support your digestive system - this is a staple for on our kitchen table and it can lend itself to use up any leftovers or vegies you choose. It's simple fare for hungry families. Kikorangi means blue in Te Reo "the language" and this beautiful NZ award winning blue cheese is a perfect balance of acid and sweet as it rounds off a smooth creamy finish. Save time by preparing the beans in advance and stirring them into the soup at the last minute however if time is an issue by all means use canned beans for ease....be kind to yourself :)
Ingredients
- 2 cups butter beans (soaked in the ACV over night)
- 1 Tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)
- 1 tablespoon butter or ghee
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 1/4 leek (finely sliced)
- 3 celery stalks (finely chopped)
- 4 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
- 8 cups chicken bone broth or stock
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- 1 branch rosemary (with flowers for garnish)
- 150g Kikorangi blue cheese
- 1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
- 1 bunch kale (trimmed of tough stems and sliced thin)
- extra virgin olive oil
Method
- Toss the beans in a large mixing bowl, cover with water and slosh in ACV. Soak for 24 hours, changing the water once. Drain and rinse well. This process reduces the cooking time and increases the bio-availability of the nutrients from the beans.
- Transfer the soaked beans into a large stock pot, cover with water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until beans are tender - about 1 1/2 hours. Drain.
- Melt butter in a large stock pot until it froths. Stir in onion, leek, celery and garlic. Stir frequently, and fry until fragrant - about 10 minutes.
- Pour in chicken broth, add rosemary and bay. Simmer over medium heat, covered, for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Remove from heat, stir in smoked paprika and kale. Cover and allow the kale to wilt in the residual heat of the soup for about 5 minutes. Salt and pepper as needed and serve with crumbled kikorangi blue cheese and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Scatter with rosemary flowers and enjoy :)