Kale and bean

It's taken me quite some failed experiments and grouchy stomachs before I finally accept that kale (that big coarse kale sold cheaply in grocery store) really takes a long time to cook. It's not a vegetable for salad or stir-fry. Instead, it does much better with ingredients that take long cooking, such as beans. I was so happy when I had my first success with this vegetable in a bean soup.

Recipe: Kale, beans and wild rice soup


Ingredients:
- 1 bunch kale (finely chopped to 3-4 cups)
- half a small white onion
- half a small red onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 3 oz pork tendon or rib meat
- 3 tablespoons (TB) wild rice
- 1/4 cup red beans
- 1 leaf of kappa cabbage, thinly sliced
- 10 cup water


Procedure:
Boil white and red onion, garlic, pork tendon, wild rice and red beans in chicken soup and 4 cups water on med-high heat for 1 hour. Keep the liquid boiling hard to prevent sticking to the bottom. Whenever liquid has been reduced by half or more, top up with water and continue boiling. Add chopped kale and keep boiling for 1/2 hours on med-high. Then turn down heat to medium and let simmer for 1 hour to 1.5 hours or until served. When the soup is done, the kale should be very cooked, the wild rice should be opened up, while red beans should remain in whole pieces and crush on biting. Just before serving, add sliced kappa cabbage and let cook for 2 minutes. The kappa cabbage gives a fresh crunchy taste and light color to the soup, and brings out the soup's vegetable nature.