Kale and hearty: Baby leaves make a robust soup

Kale salads and kale chips, the darling vegetable dishes last year, are still having an influence.

Their ubiquity on dinner tables and at picnics has led to such supermarket products as baby kale leaves. Once a specialty item of farmers markets, small, tender, young kale leaves can now be picked up, prewashed, in plastic bins -- ready to throw into salad bowl or saucepan.

Despite the modernization of the once-overlooked green, sometimes they are more welcome in a simple, rustic preparation. Kale and bean soup is such a dish. Just a few ingredients and little actual work, and you've got a hearty soup. Add some protein, if you like. Along with (or instead of) those listed, you could cook a few slices of bacon. Skip the hot pepper or add more.

KALE AND WHITE BEAN SOUP

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups cooked white beans, or 2 (14-ounce) cans, drained, rinsed

1 quart chicken broth, homemade or low-sodium if canned

3 to 4 cups roughly chopped kale

1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

1 cup leftover turkey or chicken, or cooked sausage, optional

1 small fresh chili pepper, such as fresno or habanero, thinly sliced crosswise

1. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or a large saucepan; add the garlic. Cook until aromatic, about 1minute. Stir in the beans to coat with the oil.

2. Add the broth and baby kale; season to taste. Cover the pot; cook at a simmer until kale is wilted to your liking.

3. Stir in the turkey, chicken or sausage, if using. (If you choose sausage, cut it into thin slices crosswise.) Add the chili pepper slices. Cook until just heated through.