Kale and Chickpeas Minestrone

Kale and chickpeas minestrone is a warming soup, filled with smoky bacon and carrots in a sweet tomato sauce. It’s likely to become your family’s favorite dish, too.

There are as many recipes for minestrone as there are Italian grandmothers. And everyone has their favorite minestrone recipe. From my time living in Italy, I learned that allowing the time to sauté the aromatics such as onion, carrot, and celery at the begging of the cooking is a crucial step that leads to a good minestrone. Italians call this soffritto which literally means frying (your aromatics).

My favorite way to boost the flavor is to use homemade chicken stock or broth. It doesn’t overpower the dish and yet it gives it a nice depth.

Winter Kale and Chickpeas Minestrone

When it comes to minestrone, the unspoken rule is to use veggies that are currently in season. For winter months, one of my favorites is kale. I like pairing kale with chickpeas for a hearty winter minestrone. Chickpeas or garbanzo beans are a staple in the Mediterranean diet and thanks to their mild flavor, they marry well with kale.

2 Reasons Why You Should Cook with Dried Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)

To make kale and chickpeas minestrone with dried chickpeas you will need to properly prepare them first. This require some planning as chickpeas need to soak overnight. The extra step you need to take with dried chickpeas, compared to using a canned version is well worth it. It’s less expensive and it’s better for you since it’s less processed.

Depending on a brand and where you live, a 15-oz can of organic chickpeas can average $3. For this recipe, you’ll need two and half cans for a total of $7.50 since the weight of a can includes the liquid as well as beans. On the other hand, you could get 2 pounds of dried organic chickpeas here for $12. That makes your chickpea cost for this recipe $3 rather than $7 or more.

How to Cook With Chickpeas or Garbanzo Beans

Cooking with dried chickpeas requires some planning. Dried chickpeas need to be soaked to reduce their cooking time and improve their digestibility. Here’s how you prepare them:

Place chickpeas in a large bowl or a container, if the beans fill more than 1/3 of the bowl, the bowl is too small. Pour enough water to have 4 inches of water above the beans. Stir in 1/2 tablespoon of sea salt and 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. Cover and let sit on the counter overnight.

In the morning, rinse the chickpeas and place them in a clean stockpot. Cover with fresh water and bring to boil. Lower the heat and let simmer for about an hour or until the chickpeas are soft if using in soups and stews where they will need to be cooked more. If using in salads and appetizers, where they won’t be cooked any more, simmer for at least an hour and half. Taste for tenderness.  Use in your favorite recipe.

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Kale and Chickpeas Minestrone

Kale and chickpeas minestrone is a warming soup, filled with smoky bacon and carrots in a sweet tomato sauce. It’s likely to become your family’s favorite dish, too.

Mediterranean

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small red onion diced
• 2 large carrots sliced
• 2 stalks of celery diced
• 1 cup smoked bacon or pancetta chopped
• 1 parsnip diced
• 1 cup grape tomatoes halved
• 8 oz dried chickpeas soaked and precooked
• 15 oz tomato sauce
• 20 oz chicken stock
• 2 tsp sea salt coarse
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp marjoram dried
• 1 tsp parsley flakes
• 6 cups kale with stalks

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large stockpot or a Dutch oven. Sauté onions until golden and translucent. Add carrots, celery, and parsnip and sauté until soft. Then stir in bacon/ pancetta and let it brown. Stir occasionally.


2. Cut off the stalks of the kale and dice them. Set the leaves aside. Add halved tomatoes, diced kale stalks and chickpeas to the stockpot.


3. Season with sea salt, black pepper, marjoram, and parsley flakes.

   

4. Pour in the tomato sauce and chicken stock. Top off with more chicken stock or water if needed. All ingredients should be under the liquid. Bring to boil and then lower the heat. Put a lid ajar and let simmer until chickpeas are cooked, about 30 minutes.


5. Add roughly chopped kale leaves and cook for 10 more minutes.

   

6. Check for salt and pepper and remove from heat. Serve hot. 


Recipe Notes

Traditionally, minestrone contains pasta. If you would like to add pasta, add ½ cup small pasta pieces, broken spaghetti will do great, during the last 10 minutes of cooking. (When you add kale leaves).

If you’re just getting accustomed to kale flavor, I suggest you blanch it before adding to the soup. I find its flavor to be milder that way. 

To blanch kale: Bring a large pot of water to boil and add kale for 30 seconds.  Using a slotted spatula, transfer to the soup. It’s that easy.