Preparation Steps
- Set a dutch oven or large saucepan over medium heat; pour in the olive oil.
- Finely dice the shallots and add to the pan, stirring to coat with the oil.
- Make 4 or 5 long horizontal slices in the celery stalk and dice.
Add this to the pan and stir.
- Finely chop the rosemary leaves and stir into the pan together with the bay leaf and the chilli flakes.
- Peel the garlic clove and using the flat of your knife and the heel of your hand, crush so that it is still whole and add to pan.
- Add the chickpeas and the kale and stir.
Pour in the hot stock, let it come to a boil and turn down the heat.
- Let it simmer for 20 minutes until the kale is tender.
Squeeze in the juice of half a lemon.
Check the seasoning and adjust to taste.
You might want more lemon or salt it all depends on what you have used for the stock.
- Working in batches or in the pan itself if you have a stick blender, blitz until you have the texture you like.
I like mine to still have a few chickpeas and pieces of kale through it so I set aside a couple of ladlefuls and used a stick blender to blitz the rest.
- Serve hot, floating a couple of slices of lemon on top of each serving and pass round the parmesan cheese for everyone to help themselves.
Lovely with toasted crusty bread.