swiss chard soup

Swiss Chard Soup & a glass of Nebbiolo

I mentioned in Friday's post that the Goose Fair lunch features a Swiss Chard Soup, made by a small swarm of dedicated volunteers.  Try to imagine a group around a large industrial-type kitchen, all chopping away and making the building blocks of a soup that will nourish so many.  It is truly a labor of love.  My recipe is inspired by this and by a traditional bean and chard soup from Italy.  There is still some chopping and plenty of yummy vegetables - but can easily be put together for a family of 4+ (with extra for leftovers - this soup reheats well).  This batch will be lunch for me this week as we prepare for the holidays and our annual pilgrimage to NH.

Swiss Chard Soup


Ingredients:
EVOO to cover the bottom of your soup pot
1/2 onion, chopped small
2 carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
3 garlic cloves, smashed
1 stalk of celery*, diced (yikes - I was out so used a dash of celery salt)
1/2 t kosher salt
1/4 t fresh rosemary (can substitute dried)
2 anchovy fillets
1 t Italian seasoning
2 bay leaves
1 bunch of swiss chard (can substitute kale)
1 can red kidney beans
8 c of chicken broth
1 c of dried, small pasta (I use Ditalini)
salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan Cheese, grated for serving


Directions:

1. Prepare your veggies - rinse the chard, chop your onions & carrots. I also took a moment to chop the chard stems in half-moons and the chard in short ribbons.  Drain your beans.

2. Heat your pot and cover with EVOO.

3. Add onions, carrots, garlic cloves and *celery to the pot. I use 1/2 t kosher salt here to help them 'sweat'.  Saute for several minutes until the onions are translucent.

4. While waiting, mince the anchovy fillets and rosemary together to almost a paste.  Add to the saute with the bay leaves.  Leave on med-low heat to soften further, 5 minutes or so.

5. Add your chard and beans - I covered to help the greens wilt a bit.  Once the leaves had reduced by almost half, I remove the garlic and bay leaves.  (If you minced your garlic, I think it is perfectly fine to leave it in the soup.)  Add the broth. Bring to a boil.  If your soup needs more liquid (some ingredients are not exact - it should be to your liking) then I recommend adding water or more broth.

5 Add the dried pasta, return to a simmer and let cook for 6 minutes more.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve with grated parmesan.


Great reheated the next day!