Go Dairy Free | Vegan Moroccan Soup with White Beans and Kale: Rich, Flavorful, and Food Allergy-Friendly

Betsy DiJulio ~ For the first time ever, we hosted a Super Bowl party this year. However, it was NOT about eating unhealthy food and drinking beer. It wasn't even entirely about the game or the halftime show (though Madonna did herself proud!).

Rather it was about gathering together 10 friends to see whether the "Doritos Crash the Superbowl" commercial co-starring our Great Dane, Huff, and created by our friend, Jon Friedman, received enough viewer votes--after being judged a Top Five Finalist--to earn Top Two status and airtime during the game. It did! And it also earned Jon a cool $1 million dollars by virtue of being ranked No. 1 Superbowl ad by the USA Today Ad Meter Poll immediately following the game! It's true!

Our friends are generally quite health-conscious, though not vegan or even entirely vegetarian, so I knew our feast would be lovely, and it was. I created this Vegan Moroccan White Bean and Kale Soup for the occasion ...

For those who eschew dairy, cream soups needn't present a challenge, as there are several really tasty options, from simply pureeing the vegetables and thinning the mixture with vegetable stock and non-dairy milk, to making soup with beans or pasta and allowing the starch from these ingredients to naturally thicken the soup. For my Moroccan-inspired soup, I did the latter. But, then, feeling like I needed one more ingredient to make the soup extra-special, I reviewed my mental pantry of North African ingredients, and hit upon tahini. I started with a couple of tablespoons, but ended up doubling that amount for a subtle, but rich and distinctive layer of flavor.

Recipe: Vegan Moroccan White Bean and Kale Soup

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Medium Yellow Onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1-2 Cloves Garlic, minced
3 Cups Chopped Kale, thick stems removed
2 Teaspoons Ground Cumin
2 Teaspoons Ground Coriander
2 Teaspoons Ground Ginger
1 Teaspoon Paprika
1 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika or a Second Teaspoon of Regular Paprika
2 Teaspoons Turmeric
3-15.5 Ounce Cans White Beans, rinsed and drained
1-15.5 Ounce Can Diced Tomatoes in Juice
4 Cups Vegetable Stock (broth is fine; stock is just usually richer in flavor and color)
1 Stick Cinnamon, broken in half
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste
1/4 Cup Tahini (sesame paste)

Instructions

In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high, heat olive oil to shimmering. Add onion and saute, stirring, for approximately 3 minutes or until softened and beginning to turn translucent.
Add the garlic and saute, stirring, for 30-60 seconds. Avoid browning it.
Stir in all the kale, and saute for a minute or two until it turns bright green.
Stir in spices, followed by the beans, tomatoes, the stock, and the cinnamon stick; bring to a gentle simmer. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer for about 20 minutes to allow flavors to marry, then whisk in the tahini, check for seasoning again and heat through.
Serve immediately or cool and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Gently reheat to serve.

Quick notes

If you have a leftover vegetable soup with compatible flavors that needs eaten, as I did the first time I made this soup, stir it right on in for added flavor, nutrition, color and texture.

Preparation time: 5 minute(s)

Cooking time: 30 minute(s)

Diet type: Vegan, Dairy free, Egg free, Gluten free, Nut free, Peanut free, Soy free, Wheat free, Sugar free, Low fat

Number of servings (yield): 8

Recipe, article, and photos by Betsy DiJulio, author of The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes (Vegan Heritage Press, 2011), which features 150 mouthwatering seasonal recipes.You can also view more of Betsy's great recipes at The Blooming Platter website.