Kale and Mushroom Acquacotta

Spicy Kale and Mushroom Acquacotta

Hi my beautiful friends.

It's cloudy. It's hazy. It's cold.  This calls for the opposite: clear, spicy, and hot soup. I think I'm hooked on juxtapositions with the food and weather here in Chicago. The best part? It's so easy. Traditionally, an aquacotta is a soup designed by the peasants of Italy; where ingredients are chucked into water to create a simple and econimical soup. The truth is that this soup taste rather bland if only made with water, so I made the decision to use good quality chicken stock. When it's your kitchen, it's your rules that matter. :) However, the origin of this soup was inspired from a simple mushroom and spinach version. Use any vegetables you have on hand. This is a really mindless healthy recipe and can be paired virtually with anything. 

I N G R E D I E N T S

Serves 4

THE SOUP

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic, sliced in half

1 cup white onion, chopped

2 cups baby portobello mushrooms, sliced (or, white button and large portobello caps are fine)

1-2 teaspoons fresh red chili, chopped (or sub with chili flakes, to taste)

1 – 32 ounce Container Low-Sodium Chicken Broth

2 cups baby kale, or any dark green leafy vegetable 

salt, to taste

black pepper, to taste

1/4 cup parmesean or asiago cheese, grated

D I R E C T I O N S

Soup pot on medium-high heat.

THE SOUP

•  Add oil to a large soup pot. Add the garlic halves. Toast the garlic in the oil over medium-low heat until they turn golden brown. Remove the garlic and discard. (Or, eat them :)  
•  Add the chilies, onion, and mushrooms to the oil.  Add salt and pepper. Stir and sweat these veggies 5-7 minutes, until they are tender. Once tender, add the chicken broth. Cover and bring the entire pot to a boil.
•  Add the kale and bring to a boil again. It's ready!

• Serve 1/2 cup of soup into a large bowl and sprinkle over the cheese.

-P

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