1 pound cranberry beans
kosher salt

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 bunch cavolo nero (Tuscan kale) or other kale
1 medium zucchini, cubed
1 medium ripe tomato, seeded and chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
pinch red pepper flakes
2 cups homemade chicken stock (or low-sodium broth) handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped
freshly ground pepper

store-bought croutons or torn-up stale bread

grated Grana Padano or parmesan cheese

Shell the beans. Put the beans in a pot with enough water to cover them by a few inches and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover pot partially, and simmer beans until they are soft enough to smash easily when pressed with a fork, 25 to 35 minutes. When the beans are done, turn off the heat and sprinkle in a large pinch of salt.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in the bottom of a 4- to 6-quart soup pot and add the onion and carrot. Cook, stirring, until vegetables soften. While that is cooking, strip the kale leaves off the stems and discard the stems. Roughly chop the leaves and rinse them, then add to the soup pot. Add the zucchini, tomato, thyme and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the kale leaves wilt. Pour in the 2 cups stock and a good pinch of salt. Bring liquid to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the beans are done cooking.

When the beans are cooked and salted, take a potato masher or a large wooden spoon and plunge it around in the bean pot to mash about half of the beans; don't worry about being precise — you just want some smashed, some whole and any liquid in the pot to have thickened. Pour this into the soup pot and stir well. If mixture is not soupy enough, add more broth or water. Stir in basil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer soup until flavors are mingled and kale is very soft, about 10 more minutes.(Of course the soup tastes even better if made the day ahead then reheated before next step.)

To serve, put a handful of croutons or stale bread in each bowl and ladle soup over it; sprinkle each portion with cheese to taste.