• Clean the Leeks - Slice and clean the leek by soaking it in a large bowl of cold water. Agitate the water so all the sand and grit will fall to the bottom of the bowl. Allow the leeks to sit in the water for a few minutes until the clean leeks float to the top and all first settles on the bottom of the bowl. Use your hands or a spider ladle to scoop out the clean leeks.
  1 small leek
• Preheat a heavy bottom soup pot over medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and sauté the leeks, onion, carrot and celery with a pinch of salt until they begin to soften and all moisture has evaporated.
  1/2 yellow or white onion, 1 carrot, 1 celery stalk, 1 small leek
• Push veggies to the side and drizzle some olive oil in the center. Add the minced garlic, rosemary and fennel seeds and let them sizzle in the oil until fragrant.
  3 cloves garlic, 2 sprigs rosemary, 2 tsp fennel seeds
• Give everything a good stir then mix in the shaved fennel root and Napa cabbage. Sautee until wilted.
  1/2 fennel bulb, 4 cups Napa cabbage
• Meanwhile scrub and rinse your potatoes well ( no need to peel waxy gold potatoes) then cut them into small dice. Rinse well again then add them to the soup pot together with the water. Bring to a constant simmer and season with the salt. Partially cover the pot and cook the soup for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are completely soft. Reserve 3/4 cup of the broth.
  4 cups gold potatoes, 4 cups water, 1 tsp fine sea salt + more to taste
• Add in the kale and one can of drained beans and cook a couple more minutes until the kale has wilted. Remove the soup from heat.
  3 cups Cavalo nero kale leaves, 14 oz can cannellini beans

Make the Cannellini Cream

• Add the can of cannellini beans (with all the liquid
 to a powerful blender together with the lemon juice, grated garlic and the reserved broth. Blend until silky smooth adding a little more broth if needed.
  14 oz can cannellini beans with liquid, 1 lemon, 3/4 cup of the reserved soup broth, 1 large garlic clove
• Add the cannellini cream to the soup pot and combine well. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Serve with a drizzle of good olive oil, red chili flakes, black pepper and herbs. (Garnish ideas: onion chives, parsley, dill, basil and even squash blossoms when in season).