Italian Sausage and Garbanzo Bean Soup

Makes about 2 quarts

2 links Italian sausage fully cooked, sliced lengthwise then cut into bite-sized pieces
1 can garbanzo beans rinsed and drained
2 cups lacinato kale sliced into 12-inch strips. Substituting with any hearty green is fine.
1 small white onion diced, about 3/4-cup
3/4 cup fresh tomato diced. Substituting canned, diced tomatoes is fine.
1 clove garlic minced
1 quart chicken broth preferably homemade, but use low-sodium if store-bought
1 tablespoon olive oil
red chile flakes to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a 3-quart saucepan for about one minute, add the sliced Italian sausage and spread into a single layer. Let brown slightly, then turn to brown the second side, about 3 – 4 minutes. Add the diced onion and minced garlic and stir to combine. Continue cooking over medium heat until the onion turns translucent. Do not over brown, be especially watchful of the garlic.
Add the diced tomatoes, garbanzo beans and chicken broth. Bring to a gentle boil for at least five minutes to cook the tomatoes. Add the kale and cook until just wilted. Taste and season to accordingly.

Easy croutons: This soup is rustic and begs for big, crunchy croutons atop to provide a textural contrast. For one cup of rustic croutons, simply hand pull 1/ 2 – 1-inch chunks of bread from your favorite loaf and toss in about 1 – 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add salt or other seasonings as desired.