Wedding Soup with White Bean Balls & Kale

White Bean Balls

• 1 large yellow onion

• 3 cups cooked navy beans, fresh or canned, drained

• 1/2 cup bread crumbs

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast or flour

• 3 tbsp. olive oil

• 1 tbsp. soy saue

• 2 tsp. no salt all purpose seasoning blend - I used Bragg’s

• 1 tsp. each dried thyme and oregano

Soup

• 1 tbsp. olive oil

• 2 ribs celery, chopped

• 3 carrots, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 cup orzo pasta

• 8 cups vegetable broth

• 4 cups lacinato kale, washed, ribs removed and sliced

• 1/2 tsp. each sea salt and freshly ground pepper

• Grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish (omit if vegan)

Freshly grated parmesan cheese ( for garnish)

Preheat the oven to 400F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Chop the onion, and set aside ( 1/4 cup for the balls, the remainder for the soup). In a food processor, add the beans. Puree till chunky. Add in the 1/4 cup onion & remaining ingredients and puree till it all sticks together. If too dry add a tbsp. of water at a time. Make golf ball size bean ball withs the mixture and place on the cookie sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Meanwhile heat a Dutch oven on the stove to medium heat. Heat the olive oil and then add the rest of the onion, carrot, celery and garlic and sauté until the onion starts to brown about 3-5 minutes. Add the pasta and gently pour in the broth and let simmer till the pasta is tender, about 10 minutes. Fold in the greens, salt and pepper. Turn the heat off.

When ready to eat, put 3-4 bean balls in the bottom of a soup bowl. Laddle the soup gently over the balls. They will soften pretty quickly.