12.15.2007

kale soup. with no abbreviations.

I have a love/hate relationship with Rachael Ray. First of all, the gratuitous A in her name and her abbreviations ("EVOO") drive me crazy. But back when the only TV show she had was "30 minute meals," I thought she was pretty interesting. Here's this normal woman, I thought, with no culinary training, who makes quick, healthy (well, there's almost always a salad) meals. Some were vegetarian, many were veganizable.

Then she exploded. Travel eating shows, restaurant rating shows, Dunkin Donuts commercials (ugh!), her own daytime talk show. The love/hate business had ended. Rachael was the enemy. But last week I had some free time in front of the TV and (of course) Rachael Ray was on. And she's kinda adorable. And she made some really neat dishes for which, she kept saying, the recipes were posted on her website. So I went to the website... and came back with a treasure! OR SO I THOUGHT.

It was a kale soup that, once veganized, had no flavor (I have no idea what chicken broth tastes like, but I'm under the impression that even un-veganized this wouldn't've been great). So I changed it, and I present the result to you:

Better-Than-Rachael-Ray's Kale Soup

2 TB Olive Oil
1 medium to large onion, chopped
1 bunch kale, washed and chopped
1 15-oz can (scant 2 cups) cannelini beans
6 cups veggie broth*
1/4 Cup tamari/soy sauce*
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 cup whole wheat spiral or other pretty pasta**

* I use Rapunzel's no-salt-added veggie bouillion; if your broth contains salt, use half as much tamari. You can always add more later if it needs it.
**Gluten-free option: use rice noodles instead of wheat.

In a large pot, saute the onions in oil until translucent. Stir in kale and beans, saute 2-3 minutes. Add veggie broth, tamari, and pepper: bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Add pasta and cook 6-8 minutes, or until pasta is al dente. Add more pepper/tamari to taste. Serve with crusty bread, or, in my case, with salad and orange-glazed turnips.

4 comments:

Liz Ranger (Bubble Tea for Dinner) said... Best Blogger Tips

nice doctoring on the soup - I find that leafy-green + bean soups are generally not so great once veganized, but yours looks pretty good! especially with the sides.

I also find Rayray kinda adorable, maybe I'm weird for not being so annoyed. She uses a lot of ground beef, but her accent is sooooooo cute. :P

Alisa said... Best Blogger Tips

I wish I had seen this recipe last night when I was trying to figure out how to use up that kale in my fridge! Sounds good, I will try it on the next batch.

I thought I was the only person who was annoyed by the "A" and the EVOO!

Ashasarala said... Best Blogger Tips

Rachel Ray really annoys me and I don't know why. Maybe it's because her voice is annoying and she's like a speedy gonzales on speed.

She makes me tired.

So kudos to you for coming up with a better soup!

Wheeler's Frozen Dessert said... Best Blogger Tips

Hello,

My name is Amy, and I’m contacting you on behalf of Wheeler’s Black Label Vegan Ice Cream. We are a brand new company specializing in dairy-free ice cream, based in the Boston area. We launched in October and have received nothing but positive feedback from the people who have tasted our product. We are currently distributing our 100% vegan product at local and national levels at festivals, fairs, and vegan meet-up groups.

Is there any way we would be able to send you free samples of our ice cream to taste-test and review? We’re a growing company and grateful to get the chance to spread the word about our product to vegan consumers looking for a healthy alternative to dairy ice cream. If you’re interested, please let us know by forwarding a mailing address and we’ll send you the ice cream ASAP!


Thanks for your time and hoping to hear from you soon,
Amy
Wheeler’s Black Label Vegan Ice Cream
http://www.icecreamproject.com
http://www.wheelersblacklabelveganicecream.blogspot.com

PS: That kale soup looks amazing. Can't wait until I get some kale to make it myself! yum! :)