White Bean, Kale and Meatball Soup

I mentioned in my Swedish Meatballs post that I doubled the recipe to turn half of them into my take on Italian Wedding Soup. It actually ended up not being wedding soup at all but some general conglomeration of the meatballs, kale and white beans. It was tasty, though.

Two things about my soups - I almost always use dry vermouth in them. Not a lot but just enough to impart that herbal essence that, IMO, adds a huge amount of depth of taste.

The same thing goes for lavender. A little bit goes a long way but it adds an earthiness to meat-based soups and stews that I absolutely love.

White Bean, Kale and Meatball Soup

olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bunch kale, chopped or torn into pieces
dry vermouth
Leftover meatballs
1 can no-salt added white beans, undrained
2 tsp Tuscan Sunset seasoning (or similar salt-free Italian seasoning)
1/2 tsp lavender, finely crushed
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup beef broth
water

Heat a large stock pot over medium heat. Add olive oil and heat thru. Add garlic and sautee until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add kale and sautee until lightly braised, about 3 minutes. Deglace pan with a splash of dry vermouth and stir until evaporated.

Add meatballs, beans and seasoning to pot. Add chicken and beef broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 30 minutes, adding water as necessary. Serve hot.