Heat a couple of tablespoons of water in the base of a large saucepan. Add the onion, carrot and celery with a pinch of salt. Sauté for 5 minutes on a medium-low heat with the lid on to soften the veg.
Add the garlic and tiny bit more water if needed and cook for another minute then pour in the tinned tomatoes, thyme and enough of the stock to cover the vegetables. Stir well, bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer with the lid on for 15 minutes.
Add the butter beans to the pan with a bit more stock if needed and cook for 5 minutes.
If you are serving this as a stew, add the kale to the pan and cook for another 5 minutes. Season to taste. Serve alongside whole-grain rice or grain of choice.
If you are serving as a soup, turn off the heat and remove 3-4 ladles of the mix into a bowl. Blitz the rest of the mix in the pan with a hand blender to break down and thicken the soup. Return the reserved mix to the pan and add more stock as needed to get a good soup consistency. Add the kale to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
