Zuppa di Cavolo Nero

One of my favorite things in filming is cooking with dear chef friends in Italy, like Gioacchino Nocera from Pompeii who is now a culinary instructor at a high school outside Rome. This simple soup reflects the Italian commitment to freshness and seasonality.

Makes 3-4 servings

Ingredient List:

• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, thin half-moon slices
• 2 small potatoes, diced
• Sea salt
• 3 cups spring or filtered water
• 4-6 oil-cured sundried tomatoes, diced
• 5-6 leaves lacinato kale, rinsed well, cut into bite-size pieces

Step By Step Instructions:

Place about 2 tablespoons oil and onion in a soup pot over medium heat. When the onions begin to sizzle, saute for 1 minute. Stir in potatoes and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring until coated with oil. Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, add sundried tomatoes, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes. Stir in kale, season lightly with salt and simmer until the kale is quite tender, about 5 minutes. To serve, place a thick slice of whole grain bread in a bowl and spoon soup over. Drizzle with olive oil and serve hot.