Making a big pot of my kale and sweet potato soup

My freezer in the basement is rather empty at the moment. Three seasons of the year I make a lot of soups, chowders, spaghetti sauce, and casseroles and freeze portions of them. It is nice to come home when you are tired and don't have a lot of desire to mess up the kitchen with a nice meal and just go to the freezer and pick whatever you want, warm it up and eat it without a lot of fuss.

So today I am beginning the process of replenishing my supply of "good food in a hurry"! I'm making one of my favorites, kale and sweet potato soup. It makes a big pot with plenty of leftovers for this week and lots more to freeze in individual servings.

Now, don't ask for the recipe! There is none. Here is what I always put in it and what I sometimes put in it!

First, the "always" list:

Two big cans of Swanson's Chicken Broth
One bunch of fresh kale, chopped
One or two sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
Onions and garlic, chopped
One big can of whole tomatoes, chopped and include the juice from the can
One can of chick peas, drained and rinsed (if you use dried and cook them first, that's even better)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Now for the "sometimes" or "most of the time" list:

A whole chicken cooked and chopped
2 cups (plus or minus) of cooked pasta
A splash of wine
Chopped leeks

I let it simmer on the stove for several hours (all except the pasta - that's added the last 10 minutes of cooking). It's really good and a very nutritional meal with muffins or a slice of toasted garlic bread.