SOUP OF FRESH GREENS AND ALPHABETS
- 8 cups (double recipe) Cheater’s Homemade Broth or canned chicken broth
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 cup canned whole tomatoes, crushed with your hands (do not use canned crushed tomatoes)
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium to large onion, minced
- One 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 2 large handfuls escarole or curly endive leaves, fine chopped (2½ to 3 cups)
- ⅓ tight-packed cup fresh basil leaves, fine chopped
- ½ cup tiny pasta (alphabets, orzo, or stars)
- Salt and fresh-ground black pepper
- 1 cup or more fresh-grated Parmigiano-Â Reggiano cheese
Instructions:
For some people the gutsiness of escarole and curly endive can be hard to take in a salad, but cook them into a soup like this one and those same folks will fall in love.
- In a 6-quart pot combine the broth, wine, and tomatoes. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, onion, chickpeas, greens, and basil. Simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes.
- Stir in the pasta and simmer, partially covered, for 6 minutes or until the pasta is tender. Taste the soup for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed. Serve hot, passing the cheese at the table.