Special thank you to Walmart for partnering on today’s post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

One of the silver linings of 2020 has been more spontaneous and impromptu social-distance gatherings with friends.  We’ve really enjoyed a slower paced life, one that frees up our schedules, allows us to do more of what we love, and congregate more frequently (and responsibly) around a delicious meal with friends.

Our casual hangs sometimes include drinks on the patio and other times, it means preparing a meal to enjoy together.  I love cooking for others…if that were a “love language”, preparing a delicious meal would certainly be one of mine.

The love and time that goes into preparing a meal and setting a beautiful table fuels me in so many ways and makes my heart happy!
Impromptu spontaneous hangs with friends are much easier to accomplish thanks to Walmart+!  Walmart recently introduced their new membership with so many incredible benefits like free unlimited delivery ($35 minimum, restrictions apply)…think groceries, household supplies, and even clothes.  After our friends said they were free to join us, I immediately used my Walmart+ membership to order all of the ingredients to make a delicious fall soup and apple cider beverage (recipes below)!

You must order a minimum of $35 (some restrictions apply) but I never have trouble meeting this minimum…in fact, not only did I order some groceries but I ordered some additional household items that we were running low on as well. These are the floral dishes, beverage glasses, glass pitcher, and salad serving bowl that I used for our gathering.

Walmart+ also offers member prices on fuel…save $.05 per gallon at Walmart and Murphy fuel stations and you can also use their mobile scan & go feature when you do shop in your local Walmart store…talk about convenience!   

Walmart+ has been such a time saver for us in so many different ways and I love that I can quickly receive the groceries that I need for family or friend gatherings.  Using this service saves me a trip to the store, which saves me a lot of time!

I highly encourage you to sign up for a Walmart+ membership…you will love this membership as much as we do and I’m certain that you will use it as often as we do too!  Join for $12.95/month or $98/year, which ends up being $2 per week (calculated based on 52 weeks).  After the 15 day free trial, we signed up for the yearlong membership…a no brainer for us!

SWEET POTATO WHITE BEAN SOUP

INGREDIENTS

• package of bacon of your choice
• 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 1 sweet or white onion – diced
• 4 fresh garlic cloves – minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground sage
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup of chopped carrots
• 3 cups of cubed sweet potatoes
• 1 can of white beans – drained
• 5 cups of chicken stock – reduced sodium preferred
• 1/3 – 1/2 cup of half and half
• 2 cups of fresh kale – roasted
• roasted pepitas/pumpkin seeds for topping

DIRECTIONS

Chop the onion, carrots, and sweet potatoes…set aside. Preheat oven to 350. Wash and dry your kale…remove all tough stems so you only have leaves left. In a large ziplock bag, toss the fresh kale leaves with some olive oil, kosher salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Spread kale leave out on a parchment lined nonstick baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes and then lightly toss and bake for another 5-10 minutes. You want the majority of your kale to be crunchy but not burned so just keep an eye on it and bake more if necessary.

While the kale is baking, cook your bacon. I cook mine in the microwave but you can also cook it in the skillet or even bake it if preferred. Set aside.

In a large saucepan or stock pot (I use a stock pot), heated at medium-low heat, sauté the minced garlic, onion, salt and pepper, and sage. Stir and sauté until the onions are soft. Stir in the nutmeg, carrots, and sweet potatoes and stir until coated.

Pour in the chicken stock + white beans and bring to a boil. Let boil for 1 minute and then reduce heat to a simmer…simmer for the next 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Cover and cook for an additional 15 minutes or until sweet potatoes are nice and soft (you don’t want them to be mushy but you also don’t want them to be hard). Next you will gently stir in the half and half…I always add a little extra half in half for a more creamy base…use your best judgement and personal preference.

Finally you will spoon the soup into your serving bowls and top with the roasted kale, bacon pieces, and roasted pepitas. Serve hot and enjoy…it is a crowd pleaser!