Recipe for Garbanzo Bean and Kale Soup with Pasta

Another one of my loves is garbanzo beans. I love homemade hummus, pasta fiagoli, garbanzo bean curry and garbanzo beans tossed in soups and salads. I usually have a couple of cans stocked in the pantry to have on hand. We went to Clyde's today and had this delicious soup and I had to come home and copy it. I found the recipe on My Recipes and tweaked it accordingly. It's a heart-healthy and delicious soup that's easy to customize. Just add or delete ingredients to suit you own tastes. "

Garbanzo Bean and Kale Soup with Pasta

INGREDIENTS:

16 ounces whole-wheat pasta shells
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 slices of bacon
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
3 (14 ounce) cans chicken broth
3/4 cup water
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup tomato paste
2 cups roughly chopped kale
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Stir in the pasta, and return to a boil. Boil, stirring occasionally, until cooked through but still firm to the bite, about 12-15 minutes. Drain well.
Heat olive oil in a large soup pot; add bacon, onion, and garlic. Cook over medium heat until meat browns and onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in sage and rosemary and cook for about 1 minute, do not allow herbs to brown. Pour the broth and water into the pot along with the garbanzo beans and tomato paste. Bring to a boil and add kale. Simmer until kale softens, about 5 minutes. Season soup with salt and pepper.

To serve, place a serving of cooked pasta in the bottom of a soup bowl and ladle hot soup over.