White Bean and Kale Soup

This cooler weather has brought on some serious soup cravings. Last night I made a delicious, low calorie and highly nutritious soup that I just have to share. Prep time took about 20-30 minutes and overall cooking time took about an hour.

White Bean and Kale Soup

Ingredients
4 cups white beans (can use 2 cans or cook from dried)
4 cups chicken or veggie broth
4 plum tomatoes (can substitute with 1 can of diced or crushed tomatoes)
4 garlic cloves
1 onion (chopped)
2 carrots (chopped)
fennel bulb (chopped, optional - I added this in at the last minute and I thought it made a great addition to the soup, although not everyone likes fennel. You could also add celery.)
4 cups chopped kale (can substitute other greens such as collard greens or chard)
2 TBS Italian seasonings - (I used dried thyme and rosemary)
2 TBS coconut oil (can substitute olive oil if you don't have coconut oil)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Saute garlic, onions, carrots, and fennel with the herbs in the oil until they become soft (about 10 minutes).
2. Add the tomatoes, 3 cups of broth, the greens and 2 cups of beans (or 1 can, including the liquid) to the sauteed veggies and bring to a boil.
3. In a blender or food processor, blend 2 cups white beans (or one full can) with the remaining 1 cup of broth to a smooth consistency.
4. Add the blended bean mixture to the boiling soup and reduce to a simmer.
5. Cover and simmer for 15-30 minutes. Greens should be soft.