The chickpea and kale soup is a creamy, velvety legume soup — a healthy comfort food.
Pizzoccheri are made with whole buckwheat flour, are high in fiber and have a glycemic index of 50.
The cavolo nero belongs to the Brassicaceae family.
It is typical of Tuscan winter cuisine; once difficult to find in Sicily, it is now present at better-stocked produce counters.
It has long, dark, ruffled and blistered leaves — rustic and thick.
The central rib, fibrous and hard to chew, should be removed.
It delivers a strong, intense flavor.
Preparation times
Vary depending on whether you use dried chickpeas or pre-cooked chickpeas.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Portions: 2 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
Adjust the amounts of pasta and legumes according to your dietary plan.
- 4.25 oz pizzoccheri
- leaves cavolo nero (Tuscan kale) (5–6 large leaves or more)
- as needed water
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch baking soda
- cooked chickpeas (2 portions, weight according to your dietary plan)
- 1 pinch garlic powder
- 1 bouillon cube (homemade vegetable bouillon, optional)
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch mixed peppercorns (to grind)
- 1 drizzle extra virgin olive oil (for finishing (raw))
Suggested Tools
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- 1 Saucepan with lid preferably glass
Preparation
Prepare the chickpeas following the procedure described in cooking chickpeas | basic recipe or, if you already have them in the freezer, thaw them.
Alternatively, you can use pre-cooked canned chickpeas.
Remember to rinse them well under running water: canned legumes often contain additives, salt and sometimes sugar.
Among packaging types, glass containers are preferable to cans as they are less prone to deterioration.
Clean the cavolo nero by removing the tough or damaged outer leaves.
Wash the leaves and let them drain in a colander.
Remove the central rib.When boiling it, use as little water as possible to best preserve its beneficial properties.
In a pot, bring salted water to a boil.
Add the leaves and a pinch of baking soda so the leaves remain a bright green color and cook for about 10 minutes.Do not discard the cooking water; we will use it to cook the pizzoccheri.
With the help of a skimmer, gently remove the leaves and transfer them to a container.
In a saucepan, heat a sprinkle of garlic powder.
Add:
– the chickpeas;
– the boiled cavolo nero leaves;
– a vegetable bouillon cube [optional];
– 3/4 cup of water;
and bring to a boil.
Let simmer for a few minutes until you reach the desired consistency.Adjust salt to taste.
For brothy pasta dishes, to avoid blood sugar spikes it is advisable to cook the pasta separately, then rinse it and add it to the prepared broth; this removes much of the starch released by the pasta into the cooking water.
Cook the pizzoccheri al dente in the cavolo nero cooking water if you reserved it, drain and quickly rinse under running water.
Meanwhile, bring the chickpea and kale soup back to a boil.
Add the pizzoccheri and stir.
Plate the soup.
Grind fresh pepper and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil.Your chickpea and kale soup with pizzoccheri is ready.
Enjoy!
Pizzoccheri with chickpeas and cavolo nero is a complete dish; add your portion of vegetables to compose a balanced meal or one-dish meal that helps keep blood sugar stable.
Storage, tips and variations
Meal prep
Boil a whole bunch of cavolo nero leaves so you have several portions available to enjoy as a side and to use as an ingredient.
Also try
– chickpea and cavolo nero soup with whole-grain pasta;
– chickpea and cavolo nero soup with brown rice;
– chickpea and cavolo nero soup with whole-grain bread.
Add a pinch of coarsely chopped red chili if you like.
Also try the bean and cavolo nero soup — beans and cavolo nero.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
If you need to reduce fiber
After cooking, remove the skins or husks of the chickpeas.
How to substitute cavolo nero?
You can use other varieties of cabbage.
You can replace cavolo nero with broccoli or cauliflower.Can someone with celiac disease eat pizzoccheri?
Originally gluten-free, today pizzoccheri are produced by mixing buckwheat flour [gluten-free] with durum wheat flour.
Therefore, in case of gluten intolerance, make sure the package states “gluten-free buckwheat pizzoccheri.”
