I really had the best intentions when I started WLFM. I told myself I’d update the blog weekly whether it was a short post about a recipe I’d made or a pattern I’d knit, or just a photo of something happening in Maine. But I got engaged. Well, I was already engaged, but then the wedding was three months away, and then two months away, and then one month away, and finally, it happened!

All of the planning and stress and saving was worth it, and while I wish I’d been better about keeping this updated, I ended up having my dream wedding instead (which is a pretty fair trade-off to me). Eventually once I’m done basking in the pictures that we received from our amazing photographers I’ll write about our wedding, but until then I’ve got a recipe for you!

Since wedding planning took up a surprising amount of time…or maybe it was just mental energy I wasn’t very good about photographing what I cooked because it was usually thrown together in 15 minutes or less in my dark kitchen. And when hanger strikes the last thing I’m thinking of is taking pictures of what I’m doing.

But in my attempts to save some money and eat healthier I tried to do what I deemed “Lazy Girl Meal Prep”, which was essentially me making a huge pot of something to bring with me to lunch for work all week. Thankfully, I’m not the type of person that needs to eat something different every day of the week, so this system was a saving grace for me. I only managed to get one recipe written down and photographed for you all, but I promise it’s a good one!

This soup was perfect for lunches considering how cold and rain filled May was up here and overall, it’s a pretty healthy soup! It’s dairy free and gluten free (if you’re into that), and it leaves you satisfied for hours afterwards so you won’t be crawling to the vending machine at 3 pm looking for something to eat. It’s got a little bit of heat from the red pepper flakes and cayenne, but the starchy creaminess from the white beans help to mellow the heat out.

It takes about 30 minutes from start to finish (though some extra time simmering never hurt anyone), and the leftovers will keep for about 5-6 days.

Here’s what you’ll need:

One large onion, medium dice

Three cloves of garlic, minced

One pound of ground turkey

Two cans of great white northern beans

One can of cannellini beans

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper (use more if you’re not grinding it fresh)

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

¼ teaspoon cayenne

2 bay leaves

2 quarts unsalted chicken stock

2 cups kale, washed and chopped

Here’s what you do:

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Once the oil is shimmering add the onions and cook until slightly translucent. Then add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Cook until onions are translucent and slightly golden. Some of the smaller pieces might start to turn a darker brown, don’t worry about this too much.

Add the ground turkey and break up the larger pieces as it cooks. Add the spices and mix into the turkey while it cooks.

Once the turkey has cooked through add the white beans and stock to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes to allow the beans to break down slightly and the flavors to combine.

Add the kale and cover the pot. Allow the soup to simmer for 5-10 minutes (or longer if you have the time).

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with grated parmesan and serve hot with crusty bread on the side!

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Once the oil is shimmering add the onions and cook until slightly translucent. Then add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Cook until onions are translucent and slightly golden. Some of the smaller pieces might start to turn a darker brown, don’t worry about this too much.

Add the ground turkey and break up the larger pieces as it cooks. Add the spices and mix into the turkey while it cooks.

Once the turkey has cooked through add the white beans and stock to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes to allow the beans to break down slightly and the flavors to combine.

Add the kale and cover the pot. Allow the soup to simmer for 5-10 minutes (or longer if you have the time).

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with grated parmesan and serve hot with crusty bread on the side!