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Ceci (Chickpea) Zuppa (Soup) con Cavolo Croccante (with Crispy Kale)

Ceci (Chickpea) Zuppa (Soup) con Cavolo Croccante (with Crispy Kale)

Ingredients

For the Crispy Kale:

  • 1 bunch lacinato, flat or Tuscan kale, stemmed

  • EVOO non-aerosol spray

  • Fine sea salt

For the Soup:

  • ¼ cup EVOO

  • 1 onion, chopped

  • 1 carrot, grated or finely chopped

  • 1 rib celery with leafy tops, small dice

  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed

  • Salt

  • 1 large bay leaf

  • 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1 teaspoon fennel pollen or ground fennel

  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

  • Two 15-ounce cans 15 ceci (chickpeas), drained

  • 2 cups crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes or passata

  • 1 quart chicken bone broth or vegetable stock

Directions

Serves: 4

For the crispy kale, heat oven to 450°F.  Spray kale and roast on wire rack-lined baking sheet until very crisp, then season with fine sea salt.

For the soup, heat a soup pot over medium heat with EVOO, 4 turns of the pan, add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic and season with salt, bay, rosemary, cumin, fennel and red pepper flakes. Add chickpeas, tomatoes and stock and simmer 20 to 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf and puree with immersion blender. 

Serve soup with crispy kale on top and charred bread on the side.