We had a late lunch of black bean tacos so we needed something light for dinner tonight, something that would fill our bellies till we went to bed, but not weigh us down before bed. I made this rustic chicken minestrone to fill the need.

I used baked chicken pieces I had reserved in the fridge. I also needed to use the kale before it spoiled and I wanted to use up what was left in the bottom of a box of pasta shells.

We all liked this soup even though it appears so healthy that you couldn't possibly enjoy it.

But, next time I make this, I'll cut the chicken and kale into much, much smaller pieces so that they won't so dominate the bites they are in and so that they will dispense throughout the soup better. And I will keep an eye out for much smaller pasta shells the next time I go grocery shopping. These were as small as I could find, but they were also a bit too big per bite, in my opinion.

If you make this, don't forget to garnish it with grated Parmesan cheese. I didn't have a rind like the recipe suggests. I didn't want to spend $12 on a lump of deli cheese. But the regular, grated Parmesan adds enough bang to this soup when it is sprinkled on right at the end.