kale & chickpea soup $6.12 recipe / $0.77 serving

kale & chickpea soup

$6.12 recipe / $0.77 serving

I know hot soup may seem characteristically out of place, especially since I'm posting it on the unofficial first day of summer. But, at my work place it's a perpetually cold 65 degrees every single day and a warm bowl of soup is still much appreciated mid-day.

I love this soup because it's light, and packed full of veggies with all of their varied flavor and TEXTURE. Plus, as you may already know, I'm in love with kale... and I love chickpeas only second to kale.

Anyway, I kept this soup simple. I seasoned with bay leaf, oregano, and just a touch of curry powder to add a slight "sweetness." I have a feeling this soup would be amazing with a full-out curry flavor. So, if you love curry, go ahead and up the curry powder for more of an Indian flare. Chickpeas, kale, and potatoes all go really well with curry.

Serve this soup with some hearty bread and you've got a really great, albeit light, meal!

Kale & Chickpea Soup

Total Recipe cost: $5.98
Servings Per Recipe: 8 (about 1.5 cups each)
Cost per serving: $0.77
Prep time: 10 min. Cook time: 35 min. Total: 45 min.

INGREDIENTS		COST
2 Tbsp	olive oil	$0.36
1 medium	onion	$0.59
2 cloves	garlic	$0.16
1 bunch	kale	$0.99
1 (13.5 oz) can	diced tomatoes	$1.09
1 (14.5 oz) can	chickpeas	$1.09
1 whole	bay leaf	$0.10
1 tsp	oregano	$0.05
1 tsp	curry powder	$0.05
6 cups	vegetable broth**	$0.78
1 large	potato (optional)	$0.86
TOTAL		$6.12

**I used vegetable base plus water to make 6 cups of broth.

STEP 1: Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add both to a large pot along with 2 Tbsp of olive oil and cook over medium heat until soft and transparent (about 5 minutes).

STEP 2: While the onion and garlic are cooking, pull the kale leaves from the hard stems and tear them into bite-sized pieces. Discard the stems and rinse the torn leaves in a colander. Add the rinsed leaves to the pot and cook until wilted (about 5 minutes more).

STEP 3: Add the can of diced tomatoes (with juice) and the can of chickpeas (drained). Also add 6 cups of vegetable broth plus 2 cups of additional water. Add the bay leaf, oregano, curry powder, and stir.

STEP 4: Wash the potato well and then cut into small cubes (small enough to fit on a spoon). Add the cubed potato, bring the pot up to a simmer, and cook until the potato is tender (about 15-20 minutes). Give the soup a final taste and adjust the salt or other seasonings to your liking. Serve hot!

Step By Step Photos

As with most of my favorite recipes, this one starts with an onion, a couple of cloves of garlic, and some olive oil. Dice the onion and mince the garlic.


Cook the onion and garlic down with the olive oil over medium heat until they are soft and transparent.


While the onion and garlic are cooking, pull the kale leaves from the stems, tearing them into bite-sized pieces.


Rinse the kale well under running water. There is no need to shake excess water after rinsing, it will help cook the kale in the next step.


Add the rinsed kale to the pot and cook it until it wilts down to about half of its volume (when I first put it in the pot, it came up to the top).


Next, add the can of tomatoes (with juices) and the can of chickpeas (drained).


Add six cups of vegetable broth and about two extra cups of water. If you're not going to add a potato, the extra water may not be needed. I use vegetable base to make my broth because it is less expensive than buying cans or boxes of broth and this brand tastes pretty good.


At this point, you have a pretty good soup already. If you want to skip the potato, simply season with the bay leave, oregano, and curry powder, and then cook just until heated through.


Or, if you want a heartier soup, cut a large potato into small cubes.


Add the cubed potatoes, bay leaf, oregano, and curry powder. Bring the pot up to a simmer and cook until the potato is tender. The larger you cut the potato, the longer it will take to cook. I like to make sure my potato is in small, bite-sized pieces that fit easily onto a spoon.


And then you're good to go! Enjoy this light but hearty soup... in air conditioning!