sprinklefingers

it’s not even winter yet and it feels like it’s been raining for 8 months straight. i hear that in other parts of the country it’s been a rather glorious autumn. not so in rainy oregon. not since i first moved here back in 1997 the olden days has it rained this much before winter even set in. sigh.

to combat rainy day blues we’ve been eating lots of soup. there have been a few misses and a few hits…but all of them warm us up nice and toasty when it’s pouring buckets outside.

bean & chard soup with parmesan broth
serves 8 with leftovers

you need:

• 1 bunch swiss chard, rinsed well
• 1 28 oz can best quality whole peeled tomatoes
• 4 cups cooked cannellini beans
• 3 T best quality olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced fine
• 2 medium carrots, diced medium
• 2 zucchini, chopped
• 1 t kosher salt
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 2 cups cooked garbanzo beans
• 6” piece of parmesan rind, 1/2” of cheese still intact
• 8 cups chicken broth (homemade preferred)
• 2 cups cooked kidney beans
• shredded or shaved parmesan for serving

to make the soup:

1. cut the leaves off the chard stems. roll the leaves tightly and slice into thin ribbons. put aside. next, chop the chard stems. put aside.
2. using an immersion blender, whirl half of the cannellini beans with 1/2 cup of water until smooth. put aside.
3. drain the juice out of the tomatoes and roughly chop them.
4. in a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat and add garlic. cook until garlic is fragrant - 2 to 3 minutes.
5. add the carrot, zucchini, chopped chard stems and salt. cook for 8 minutes.
6. add the wine and cabbage. cook until cabbage wilts.
7. add the chard leaves, cannellini bean puree, the remaining cannellini beans, chopped tomatoes, garbanzo beans, parmesan rind and broth. stir well to combine and raise heat to medium high.
8. bring soup to a boil then reduce heat so it holds at a steady simmer. simmer for one hour.
9. after one hour, stir in kidney beans.
10. fish out cheese rind and serve with a hefty sprinkling of parmesan.

tips:

this soup goes perfectly with a good, whole grain artisan bread.

if you have an enameled cast iron soup pot or dutch oven, USE IT when making this soup. the fact that you can store the soup in the pot in the fridge makes reheating the next day a breeze.

i find that this soup is best the day after you make it (and the day after that and the day after that, too.) of course it’s delicious as soon as you take it off the stove, but there’s something about reheating it (stovetop only! no microwave!) that makes it extra delicious:

the day after you’ve made the soup, pull the pot out of the fridge and (with the lid on) set it over low heat. after 20 or so minutes, increase the heat to medium. keep the lid on but watch for the soup to come to a simmer. once it comes to a light boil, let it go for 3-5 minutes then serve. i swear to you, there’s something about this re-boiling that makes this soup.

of course this recipe yields quite a bit of soup - which is great if you have the freezer space. simply divide the soup into freezer containers and freeze. want soup for dinner? simply remove a container or two of soup from the freezer in the morning and stick it in the fridge. when you’re ready for dinner, thaw and follow the above directions for re-boiling.