Rustic Chicken Minestrone

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup shredded cooked chicken
• 3/4 cup pasta shells
• 3 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
• 1 Parmesan rind, optional, plus grated Parmesan to garnish
• 1 bunch kale, stemmed, leaves shredded
• 1 medium zucchini, diced
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Set a Dutch oven or other large, sturdy pot over medium heat, pour in the olive oil, and warm it until it glints. Stir in the onion and let it cook until it turns soft and see-through, 6-8 minutes; add the garlic and give it a few more minutes in the pot.
2. Tip in the tomatoes along with their juices, and keep cooking until the pan liquid has cooked off, 5 minutes more.
3. Pour in the chicken broth and let it come up to a boil. Add the pasta, then the carrots and the Parmesan rind, if using, and let the soup simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the kale, zucchini, and chickpeas, and cook until the zucchini still has a little bite and the pasta is nearly al dente.
5. Add the chicken and heat it only until warmed through. Taste and season the soup with salt and pepper, spoon it into bowls, and finish with grated Parmesan.