A couple minor twists on this delicious peasant food made these peasants smile tonight (ok, it made these yuppies smile).  Broccoli raab and garbanzo beans took the place of the usual Swiss chard or escarole and white beans.  Some fresh sweet Italian sausage from the wonderfully stocked Lombardi's Gourmet (124 N. Main St., Fairport, NY For my local readers, the only place I know of to buy great olive oil) rounded out this dish. 

I blanched the raab for five minutes in a large pot of water before adding to the rest of the dish to remove some of the harsh bitterness.  We served this with some croutons we made from stale Italian bread sauteed with garlic and olive oil until crunchy. 

Quantities can vary a lot.  This shouldn't be a soup, but there should be a nice flavourful liquid component to the finished product. 

1 Bunch Broccoli Raab, cut into 2 inch pieces
3 Cloves Gralic, minced
2 links sweet Italian Sausage, sliced
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1 Cup Chicken Stock
Blah, blah, blah, You get the idea. I'm tired :)