1-First, heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and sauté the finely chopped yellow onion until it begins to brown.

2-Then, add the four minced garlic cloves, one diced celery stalk, and two peeled and chopped large carrots, cooking for about 10 minutes until they soften and brown slightly.

3-Next, pour in the 1/3 cup of white wine if using, and let it cook until most of the liquid evaporates, which takes around 5 minutes.

4-Stir in the three 15-ounce cans of drained and rinsed cannellini beans, one tablespoon of tomato paste, one teaspoon of dried thyme, 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano, one teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper, optional 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, two bay leaves, and start with 2 1/2 cups of low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to simmer for 15 minutes.

5-After simmering, remove the two bay leaves, then blend 2 1/2 to 3 cups of the soup until smooth and return it to the pot. Adjust the consistency with additional broth if needed, reaching up to 4 cups total for a thinner soup. Add the 2 cups of chopped kale and simmer briefly until it wilts. Finally, season to taste with more salt, pepper, and optionally one teaspoon of lemon juice, then serve warm with rustic or gluten-free bread.