Two Bean Soup with Kale (Thank You to Ann)

One night in April I sat down in front of the TV with a can of beer and bag of chips fooling myself into thinking that was dinner.  A light went on in my mind and I realized it was time to change.  The next day, I walked in to Weight Watchers and met Ann.

Ann is my Weight Watchers leader, and it is to her credit that I celebrate 20lbs of weight-loss today.  If you would have asked me after my first weigh-in, I would have sworn this would have been like every other time I “decided to make the change”.  I like to eat, I love to cook, and I find a glass or two of wine while my wife and I enjoy dinner to to be one of life’s greatest pleasures.  I knew I needed to loose weight, but I didn’t know, then, that I was ready.

Weight-loss has become a hobby.  The secret to my success to-date lies in Ann’s coaching.  The weekly meetings give me something to work toward, and for the first time in my life, I have accepted the fact that I will not drop 20lbs over night. Week-by-week, the pounds have come off.  Some weeks they went back on too – and that is ok.  It’s the end game I have been able focus on.

My attempt at weight loss is on-going.  I have plenty more to loose but I have a support network.  My wife, my co-workers, my meetings are all helping me meet this goal – but the key, the reason I can be successful, is because I have committed to a healthier lifestyle.

I am not on a diet, I am the road to a healthier lifestyle.

If you are struggling with weight loss and think it’s going be carrot-sticks and treadmills, view this blog as my testimony that it doesn’t have to be.  I eat the food I share here.  I cook it, I eat it, I write it, and I have lost 20lbs doing so.  I still have weight to loose to reach my goal weight and I am confident that before long I will be able to share more milestones with you.

The recipe I share today comes from Ann who has taught me that I can eat anything that I want, I just can’t eat it with a shovel (photo credit: FranGrit).

6 servings, 1 cup per serving  PointsPlus Value = 5

• 3 Tablespoons olive oil  (I use veggie broth instead, lowers the points to the value above)
• 1 cup chopped onion
• ½ cup each chopped carrot and celery
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups veggie broth (you can use chicken broth if you prefer)
• 7 cups stemmed, chopped kale (about 1 bunch)
• 2 (15 ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed, drained and divided
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot and celery and sauté until tender (5 mins).  Stir in three cups veggie broth and kale.  Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer 3 mins or until kale is crisp-tender.

Place half of cannellini beans and remaining 1 cup veggie broth in blender, process until smooth.  Add this with remaining cannellini beans, black beans and pepper to soup.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 mins.  Stir in vinegar, rosemary and salt to taste.

Thank you for visiting This American Bite

For everything you need to know about food, enter your email address below and click "Subscribe". Inspiring recipes and the occasional giveaway will be delivered to your inbox.