Every few months, the articling students rotate into different offices at work. Somehow, I lucked out in the fall, scoring one of the only window offices — a partner’s office, no less, with a massive, floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the city. I could watch entire weather systems pass over Toronto from that height. I once saw a full, glorious rainbow, which inspired me to (stupidly and impulsively) send an obnoxious “HEY GUYS AMAZING RAINBOW” email to all of my fellow (windowless) articling students. Understandably, it was received badly: my inbox instantly clogged up with a slew of responses ranging from the sarcastic (“I’m really happy for you”) to the vitriolic (“You are the worst”) to the corrective (“Yeah, more like “HEY GUYS, WINDOWS!”).
In the new year, karma stopped by to kick my ass into the new office rotation. I’m back where I belong: in a small, dark, interior office like most of my colleagues, wasting away to a pale, sickly figure who slams back Vitamin D supplements and asks people walking by what it’s like outside. Today I printed off black and white photos of windows looking onto scenic beachfronts and unceremoniously thumb-tacked them to my wall (this one is actually a painting of a window, but you really can’t even tell in black and white!). With last week’s passing of Blue Monday, the winter blahs have officially set in, and hard. And you know what cures the winter blahs (other than not living here)? Soup.
Most people think soup is something meant to be simmered long and low on a weekend. And in many cases, that can be true, especially if you are making your own stock. But there are lots of hearty, warming soups that can be made in 30 minutes, especially if you already have some good stock on hand. If you do have time, it’s a good idea to make your own chicken stock and freeze it, but I really think it is perfectly acceptable to use ready-made stock, whether in the tetra-paks or even in bouillon cubes. (Confession time: the McCormicks brand “All-Vegetable” stock cubes are actually really good — even the Chicken and Beef Style ones; they’re also lower in fat and don’t contain MSG. I use them all the time. All the time.)
When I moved into my first house with a real kitchen during undergrad, my mother gave me a copy of Bonnie Stern’s Simply Heartsmart Cooking. It was technically my first cookbook, and this soup is one of the first recipes I tried. It’s evolved over the years from the original, but it’s a good standby soup that pleases vegetarians and carnivores alike, provides lots of health benefits (kale is often referred to as a “supervegetable” due to its high nutritional value) and still tastes like a stick-to-your-ribs winter meal when served with some good crusty baguette.
Play around with the ingredients — the original recipe used spinach, but I prefer the texture of the kale. You could probably also use white beans or lentils instead of chickpeas; or substitute long-grain rice for the pasta. If you have a bit more time, substitute in 1/3 cup pearl barley for the soup pasta and simmer for 45 minutes (until tender) before adding the kale. The soup tends to thicken overnight so add a bit of water when reheating to thin it out. This soup also freezes well.
Chickpea and Kale Soup
Adapted from Bonnie Stern’s “Chickpea and Spinach Soup” from Simply Heartsmart Cooking
Serves 4
Cooking time: 30 minutes
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
Large pinch crushed chilli flakes
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 19 oz can chickpeas, rinsed well and drained
1/3 cup small soup pasta (I like stellette) or orzo
4 cups curly or lacinato kale, washed, trimmed (centre ribs removed) and chopped fine
Salt and pepper
Juice from half a lemon
Handful chopped fresh cilantro
1. In a large saucepan or Dutch Oven, heat the oil on medium heat while you prep your onions and garlic. Add onions, garlic and chilli and cook gently until onion begins to soften and turns translucent.
2. Add cumin and coriander, stirring to coat onions and garlic. Cook gently for a few minutes.
3. Add stock and chickpeas, then bring to a boil. Return to a simmer for 15 minutes.
4. While soup is simmering, trim and chop kale and set aside in large bowl.
5. Puree half the soup (or more if you prefer thicker/smoother soups) in a blender and return it to the pot (or use a hand blender and only partially puree the soup in the pot).
6. Add the pasta and kale, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a medium simmer and cook according to package instructions (usually 6-7 minutes), until kale is wilted and tender, and pasta is al dente. Avoid cooking pasta for too long or it will keep absorbing the stock and become mushy (alternatively, you can cook the pasta separately and add it to the soup just before serving).
7. Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and pepper, and add a healthy squeeze of fresh lemon juice right before serving, garnishing bowls with fresh cilantro.
Sara Chan is an articling student at a Toronto law firm. Her favourite food group is pork. Sara’s column appears every other Tuesday here on lawandstyle.ca.