White Bean and Potato Soup

Name: White Bean and Potato Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 onion, finely diced; 3 carrots, diced; 3 celery ribs, diced; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme (or 3/4 teaspoon ground thyme); 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; 5 1/2 cups (1.3 liters) low sodium vegetable broth; 4-5 medium Yukon gold potatoes (1.76 lbs (800 g)), diced into small bite-size pieces; 2 cans (15 ounces(425 g)) white beans, drained and rinsed; 3 bay leaves; 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste; pepper to taste; 3 handfuls fresh kale, removed from stem and torn into bite-size pieces; 1 lemon, juiced (about 2-3 tablespoons); Garnishes: fresh chopped parsley, fresh cracked pepper, more crushed red pepper