Name: Ham and Chickpea Soup
Yield: 4–6 servings
Ingredients: 1 lb. dried chickpeas, rinsed, picked over; 2 Tbsp. kosher salt, plus more; 2 carrots; 1 large onion; 8 garlic cloves; 1 smoked ham hock; ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling; 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes; 1 tsp. cumin seeds; 1 tsp. smoked paprika; Freshly ground black pepper; 1 bunch curly kale

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Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boytsova

Name a better activity for an autumnal, sweater-weather Sunday than simmering a cozy soup. (Oh, and apple-picking doesn't count.) When cooked from dry, chickpeas are way more tender than their canned counterparts—and, despite what you've been told, they don't even need to be soaked. We cook them straight from the bag, then harness the flavor of their cooking liquid to make the base for a creamy, bean-studded soup. A small amount of ham—in the form of a smoked hock—goes a long way here. You won’t get a lot of meat off that bone; its major contribution is saltiness, smokiness, and a silky, rich texture. If you don’t have or can’t find a ham hock, use a few ounces of slab bacon instead.