After all the feasting and merriment comes the overwhelming urge to eat lightly and healthfully. I picked up a bag of kale and thought to make some sort of virtuous salad from it. But outside, it was blowing a gale and a salad just didn't cut it -- I wanted something warm and filling, just not rich. A quick inspection of my cupboards revealed a tin of chickpeas and a soup was born. It was warm, filling, with a slight bite and a sharp edge. I don’t like using too many ingredients in a puréed vegetable soup as it sort of muddies the flavor. I suppose you could swirl in a spoonful of crème fraîche or a little heavy cream but I don’t think it needs it -- the blitzed chickpeas make it quite creamy. This Kale and Chickpea Soup with Lemon is perfect to take to work in a spill-proof container to heat up in the microwave for lunch. Delicious, virtuous, and thrifty! <br /> <br />You could substitute other beans like butter beans or cannellini beans too. You could also use thyme leaves instead of the rosemary and omit the chili flakes and use freshly ground pepper instead. This is one of those recipes that you can use as a base -- use half the stock to make it more of a thick purée than a soup and serve with a nice thick slice of oven roasted (responsibly sourced) cod or halibut atop, for instance.

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