White Bean, Kale & Veggie Stew

This was supposed to be a soup, but halfway through simmering, the dish took on a mind of its own and decided to become a stew.  Adding more veggie broth would probably make it more soupy, but I kind of enjoyed the heartiness of it as a stew.  Very filling, and the beans, pasta and thick veggies will make for a perfect dish in the upcoming months.

7 cups low sodium organic vegetable broth

1 cup water

1/2 lb brown rice pasta shells, cooked

1 cup white beans, soaked overnight

3 cups fresh kale, chopped

1 1/2 cup carrots, chopped

1 cup tomatoes, chopped

1 1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped

3/4 cup celery chopped

1/4 cup dried maitaike mushrooms, chopped (Jim’s request, but optional)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

1 tbsp dried oregano (or a 1/4 cup fresh- we only had dried)

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 cayenne pepper, minced

• In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook olive oil, cayenne pepper and onions for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
• Add veggie broth water and beans and bring to a boil
• Reduce to a simmer and add remaining ingredients, EXCEPT the pasta
• Simmer on low/medium heat for at least 1 1/2 hours so the beans can fully cook (I let mine go for 2 hours and it gave it that thicket, stewy consistency)
• Remove from heat, add pasta and serve