This simple soup gets flavor from a blend of spices, aromatics, and miso paste for a rich, delicate broth. It’s loaded with protein and fiber-packed beans and calcium-rich greens for a truly nourishing bowl of soup. Pork gets crisped up in the beginning and added at the end, but you can skip this or use any ground meat (see substitutions section).
Ingredient Highlight
Beans! are a great way to get protein along with a heavy dose of fiber, complex carbs, folic acid, iron, magnesium, and potassium to name a few. They are famous for making you fart (hehe) because of the specific sugars (oligosaccharides) they contain that we have trouble breaking down. Cooking your beans from scratch reduces the fart-causing substances!
Servings 4
Prep Time 10 minutes 
Cook Time 30 minutes Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ lb ground pork (or use any ground meat)*
- 1 ¼ tsp kosher salt, divided
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 tsp fennel seeds
- 2 tsp dried oregano or Italian seasoning
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 small/medium sweet potato, peeled, cut into small ½-inch cubes (about 1 ½ cups)
- 6 cups water
- 1 (15 oz) can pinto beans (drained and rinsed)
- 5-7 cups loosely packed chopped leafy greens (1 large bunch kale, chard, spinach, etc…or use 2-3 cups frozen)
- 2 tbsp tbsp mellow white miso paste
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Fresh herbs, for topping
- *To up the protein, just use a full pound of ground meat here and increase the salt to ½ teaspoon. You can also top the soup with a fried egg or two.
Instructions
- In a large pot, warm 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add the pork and ¼ teaspoon salt, then break into chunks. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring halfway through, so that the pork gets nice and browned. Continue to break into smaller chunks and cook until cooked through and deeply browned. Use a slotted spoon or spatula to transfer the pork into a paper towel lined bowl or plate.
- In the same pot over medium heat, add the onion, celery, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes, scraping up any porky bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add the garlic, fennel seeds, oregano, and red pepper flakes (if using) and cook for 30 more seconds.
- Stir in the sweet potatoes, water, beans, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer about ½ cup of the broth to a small bowl. Add the miso paste and use a fork to mash/dissolve it.
- Stir the greens and cooked sausage into the soup and simmer for 2 more minutes, or until greens are tender/wilted (you can also just top the soup with the browned pork instead of stirring it in). Remove from heat and stir in the miso water and lemon juice. Served topped with fresh herbs and drizzle with olive oil and some black pepper, if you’d like (recommended!).
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Chop 1 yellow onion
- Chop 2 celery stalks
- Smash 3 cloves garlic
- Cut 1 small/medium sweet potato into small ½-inch cubes (about 1 ½ cups)
- Chopp 1 bunch greens (5-7 cups loosely packed) chopped leafy greens
- Make the soup
Substitutions:
- To make vegetarian/vegan, skip the pork and add an extra can of beans.
- Substitute the sweet potato with any root veggie and use any leafy green you’d like.
- You can use any can of beans – cannellini, garbanzo, navy, etc…
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Warm up leftover soup on the stove or in the microwave until warmed through. Top with a squeeze of lemon and fresh herbs. If you kept the pork separate, just add it to the
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