Kale and White Bean Soup

http://nourishedkitchen.com/kale-and-white-bean-soup/

2 cups white beans, soaked overnight

4-5 Carrots, Peeled and Chopped
4-5 Celery Stalks, Chopped
1 Onion, Chopped
5 Cloves Garlic, Chopped
3 Tablespoons Butter or Ghee from Grass-fed Cows
1 Bay Leaf
2 Quarts Homemade Chicken Stock (Yes, from the bones because that’s where all the minerals are!)
1 Bunch Kale (I prefer Blue Dino)
Salt and Pepper to Taste

You’ll need to soak the beans overnight–at least and you can soak them up to 48 hrs or so if you need to.   You should be in the habit of soaking all your grains and legumes as these plant foods contain antinutrients called phytates which inhibit mineral absorption.   By soaking the foods, you remove the antinutrients releasing the full nutritive power of the food as well as increasing its overall digestibility.
Drain the beans and cook them on low in water overnight in the crockpot.   Drain the beans and add all ingredients to your slow cooker except the kale which you’ll add at the last minute.   Cook on low all day long.
Return home from a hard day at work, add the kale to the pot and prepare a simple salad as an accompaniment to the meal.   Serve when the kale is cooked, but still bright green.
This dish–with its use of both beans and kale–would not be nearly as nourishing were it not for proper preparation.