Kale Soup

Dice carrots, celery and onion into bite-sized pieces. Peel and mince garlic.

Wash the kale and run through a salad spinner. Trim the ends to remove the hard stalks. Run your knife lengthwise down the leaves and then chop into smaller sized leaves.

Heat the olive oil in an 8-quart pot or Dutch oven over high heat; saute carrots, celery, onion and garlic until they have good color, about 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in the stock and the water as well as the bay leaves. Bring up to a boil.

At a vigorous boil, add the kale, paprika, oregano, red pepper and nutmeg. Bring back up to a boil and add the pasta. Reduce to low and simmer about 15-20 minutes until pasta is cooked.

Add parsley, remove the bay leaves and ladle into individual bowls for serving. Enjoy with crusty bread or homemade croutons.

Alternate options:
1. After pasta is cooked, add in rinsed chickpeas or cannellini beans.
2. Use chicken stock instead.
3. Instead of pasta, use lentil beans.
4. Instead of pasta or beans, use cooked shrimp (no tails).