This soup is a stick-to-your ribs flexitarian special. Make it with chicken broth and prosciutto and you end up with a carnivore’s delight. Make it with vegetable stock and no prosciutto and you’ve got a vegetarian’s delight. Either way, it’s plenty hearty. The potatoes give it body and creaminess. The spinach and kale give it earthiness and a bright green color.

The greens also happen to be nutritional superstars – both spinach and kale are terrific sources of vitamins A, C and K, not to mention fiber. For folks who generally find kale a little too assertive, the time to eat it is now, in the cooler months, when its taste is milder. And given kale’s current “it” vegetable status, you’ll certainly have no trouble finding it at the store. Some supermarkets even carry the bagged shredded leaves, as convenient as pre-washed lettuce or shredded slaw mix.

For the potatoes, I went with Yukon gold because I like their buttery taste and because they hold their shape when cooked, unlike high-starch, thick-skinned baking potatoes. However, any potato will do as long as you cut it into 1-inch chunks. If the only spuds you have on hand are baking potatoes (such as russets), just be sure to peel them first. Otherwise, the skin will be too chewy in the soup.

There’s very little fat in this recipe. The vegetarian version uses just 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil and half an ounce of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. A little bit of that justly celebrated cheese goes a long way. And carnivores can keep the fat content low by trimming off the prosciutto’s fat. Just keep an eye on the salt in the rest of the recipe. Both the cheese and the meat are high in sodium.


Start to finish: 1 hour (40 minutes active)

Servings: 4

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 cup finely chopped yellow onion

1 tablespoon minced garlic


4 to 5 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1/2 cup dry white wine

6 cups packed torn kale leaves

6 cups packed baby spinach leaves

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste


1/4 pound thinly sliced prosciutto

12 1/2-inch-thick diagonally cut slices of baguette

1/2 ounce finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Heat the oven to 400.




Meanwhile, set a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Arrange the prosciutto slices in a single layer on the rack, then bake on the oven’s middle rack for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they begin to crisp. Remove the rack from the sheet pan and set it on the counter to let the prosciutto cool. When cool, crumble the prosciutto.

Arrange the baguette slices in single layer on the sheet pan and brush them with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Bake them on the oven’s middle shelf until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle the grated cheese evenly over them, return the slices to the oven and bake until the cheese is just melted, 1 to 2 minutes.
