WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS Many cuisines have an iteration of kale soup, from the famous Portuguese kale and linguica soup to Italian versions made with white beans and sausage. We took our inspiration from those, with Mediterranean flavors, but left out the sausage component. Sautéing onion and fennel built a strong foundation of flavor, which we enhanced with garlic and red pepper flakes. Once the soup base was ready, we added convenient canned chickpeas along with chopped kale. After just 15 minutes of simmering, the kale was tender and the rich flavors had all melded together into a satisfyingly hearty and warming soup.

Serves 4

TOTAL TIME: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 fennel bulb, stalks discarded, bulb halved, cored, and chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed
• 6 ounces kale, stemmed and chopped
• Grated Pecorino Romano cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering.
2. Add onion, fennel, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and cook until vegetables have softened and are starting to brown, about 8 minutes.
3. Stir in garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
4. Stir in broth, chickpeas, and kale and bring to simmer.
5. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until kale is tender, about 15 minutes.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve, passing Pecorino separately.