Marry Me White Bean Soup with Kale

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp oil from sun-dried tomatoes jar
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1½ cups)
• ½ cup chopped drained julienne-cut sun-dried tomatoes in oil, divided
• 3 clove garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1½ teaspoons no-salt-added Italian seasoning blend
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 large bunch curly kale (about 8 ounces), stemmed and chopped (about 8 cups)
• 5 cup lower-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added white beans, rinsed (about 1½ cups)
• ¼ cup chopped fresh basil, plus more, for garnish
• ⅓ cup heavy cream
• 3 oz reduced-fat cream cheese, at room temperature (about ⅓ cup)
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (2 ounces), divided

Instructions

1. Heat 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chopped onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, the minced garlic, 1½ teaspoons Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is fragrant and the tomatoes have darkened slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir in chopped kale; cook, stirring constantly, until just wilted, about 2 minutes.
2. Add 5 cups broth, the rinsed beans and ¼ cup basil; bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to maintain a lively simmer; cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the kale is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Stir in ⅓ cup cream, 3 ounces cream cheese and ⅓ cup Parmesan. Whisk until the cream cheese is melted and the mixture is fully combined.
4. Divide among 4 bowls. Top each with 1 tablespoon Parmesan. Garnish with additional basil, if desired.