white bean and kale, curry chicken soup

2 cans great northern beans, rinsed and drained
2 whole bay leaves
2 cups water
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground sage
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
8 cherry tomatoes
1 Tbs. salt divided into 2 tsp. and 1 tsp
1 tsp. pepper
1 bunch kale, cut into ribbons
lemon juice from 1/2 lemon
1 skinless, boneless leftover chicken breast, poached and diced
2 tsp. medium curry

Massaging the kale will make it more tender to eat.
Instead of using canned or boxed chicken broth, I often use the liquid from the poached chicken.

Put beans, water and bay leaves in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil and reduce to medium heat. In a small fry pan, heat oil on medium heat. Add minced garlic and sage and simmer until garlic is tender but not browned. Add to soup pot. Add 1 cup chicken broth. Remove 1/2 of the bean mixture and put in a food processor. Add the cherry tomatoes, 2 tsps. of salt and the pepper. Blend until smooth. Return to the soup pot. Put the cut kale in a large bowl. Put about a tsp of salt on the kale and using your clean hands, massage the kale. Massage it until it becomes soft and green liquid is releasing (2 minutes). It will become about 1/2 the size. Add the kale and the chicken to the pot. Squeeze in the lemon juice. Add curry. Let simmer for about 30 more minutes until kale is more tender. Add more water or chicken broth to increase the portion size. Optional, you can top each serving with crumbles of feta cheese if you desire.

Serving Size: Makes 8 one cup servings