I’m a big fan of healthy meals that I can create in a single pot. It’s even better when they’re quick and simple to make.  And that’s exactly what I did this afternoon. I whipped up a big pot of soup chock full of the healthiest ingredients – beans, kale, whole grains (buckwheat aka kasha) and organic tomatoes. The result? A light and delicious soup, low in fat and calories, high in fiber and all the right ingredients to keep your blood sugar and energy levels stable all afternoon (greens, grains and beans are all fabulous for that).

What’s even better, to make maximize my meal planning efforts, I doubled the recipe and immediately froze half of it (one of my favorite meal planning tricks, takes minimal effort). That way, Bruce and I don’t get sick of eating it all week and it gives us some ready made soup that we can dig into in coming weeks.

Check out the recipe below. I found this last year in Vegetarian Times and have adapted it to my liking.

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 Tbs. olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 large clove garlic, minced (about 2 tsp.)
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups cooked kasha (aka buckwheat — find at your local health food store)
1 15-oz. can crushed tomatoes (I love Muir organic fire roasted tomatoes)
1 15-oz. can kidney beans or black beans, drained and rinsed, divided
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried rosemary
1 bunch kale, washed, trimmed and chopped
3 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
2 to 3 tsp. balsamic vinegar

Directions

1. Heat 1 Tbs. oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook 3 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, and cook 5 minutes more, or until onion is lightly browned.
2. Stir in broth, kasha, tomatoes, 1 cup beans, oregano and rosemary. Bring to a boil.
3. Press half of kale into liquid with wooden spoon until it wilts. Press remaining kale into liquid.
4. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, or until kale is tender.
5. Add parsley and stir in vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.

Filed under: Grains, Greens, Healthy Meals, Legumes, Meal Planning, Recipes, Soups