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.