Bean and Kale Minestra

This is from the Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant  Cookbook.

It serves 6-8
Ingredients:
1/2 pound kale (about 4 cups chopped)
4 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 TBSP olive oil
6 cups cannellini beans
4-5 cups vegetable broth
2 heaping TBSP tomato paste
6 fresh sage leaves (1/2 tsp dried)
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup finely ground cornmeal (optional)
2 TBSP fresh lemon juice or to taste
freshly grated Parmesan
Method:
Remove the stems from the kale and coarsely chop the leaves.  Soak the leaves in a bowl of cold water while you prepare the soup.  In a soup pot sautee' the garlic in olive oil for just half a minute.  Add about half of the beans and part of the stock to the pot.  Puree' the rest of the beans and stock in a blender or food processor along with the tomato paste and sage.  Stir the pureed beans into the soup.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
Drain the kale.  Mix it into the soup and simmer for at least half an hour, until tender.  Mix the cornmeal with the lemon juice and enough water to make one cup.  Pour this paste slowly into the simmering soup while stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming.  Simmer the soup for another 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Use a heat diffuser, if necessary, to prevent scorching.  Taste for salt and pepper and adjust the seasonings.  Serve the soup immediately, topped with freshly grated Parmesan.