Mediterranean Beans and Greens Soup
The beauty of this recipe is that it has varying degrees of diversity. It is a vegetable soup with onions, carrots, tomatoes, and greens. Choose your greens: I am particularly fond of Swiss chard; however, beet greens or different kinds of kale also work beautifully. It is a bean soup shown here with cannellini beans, but garbanzo beans or great northern beans work equally well. Add heavy cream at the end or for a dairy-free enrichment drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, as they do in the Mediterranean. Top it all off with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and thin ribbons of fresh basil. Now say comfort!
4 servings
INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch Swiss chard, washed (or beet greens, or kale)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup onion, small diced
1 cup carrot, small diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons concentrated tomato paste
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 cups chicken broth
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes in juice
1 rind Parmigiano Reggiano cheese rind
1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed, drained (or garbanzo beans, or great northern beans)
½ cup heavy cream or a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (optional for enrichment)
½ teaspoon sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
4 teaspoons Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
8 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
DIRECTIONS:
1. Remove the stems from the Swiss chard as shown in the picture. Thinly slice the stems. Slice the leaves into ribbons about one-quarter of an inch wide. Reserve separately.
2. Heat the olive oil in a saucepot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, and Swiss chard stems to the pot when the oil shimmers slightly. Cook until soft, about three minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, and oregano—Cook for an additional minute. Add the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, and cheese rind. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer—Cook for twelve minutes.
3. Add the Swiss chard leaves and cook until wilted, about two to three minutes. Add the beans and heavy cream or olive oil and bring to a bare simmer. Remove the cheese rind and discard. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Garnish each soup bowl with grated cheese and sliced basil. Serve hot.
Mediterranean Beans and Greens Soup
Ingredients
- 1 bunch Swiss chard, washed (or beet greens, or kale)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup onion, small diced
- 1 cup carrot, small diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons concentrated tomato paste
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes in juice
- 1 rind Parmigiano Reggiano cheese rind
- 1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed, drained (or garbanzo beans, or great northern beans)
- ½ cup heavy cream or a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (optional for enrichment)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
- 4 teaspoons Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
- 8 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Remove the stems from the Swiss chard as shown in the picture. Thinly slice the stems. Slice the leaves into ribbons about one-quarter of an inch wide. Reserve.
- Heat the olive oil in a saucepot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, and Swiss chard stems to the pot when the oil shimmers slightly. Cook until soft, about three minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, and oregano—Cook for an additional minute. Add the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, and cheese rind. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer—Cook for twelve minutes.
- Add the Swiss chard leaves and cook until wilted, about two to three minutes. Add the beans and heavy cream or olive oil and bring to a bare simmer. Remove the cheese rind and discard. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Garnish each soup bowl with grated cheese and sliced basil. Serve hot.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
257.83Fat (grams)
8.32Sat. Fat (grams)
1.28Carbs (grams)
36.63Fiber (grams)
8.7Net carbs
27.93Sugar (grams)
6.17Protein (grams)
12.18Sodium (milligrams)
1215.9Cholesterol (grams)
4.2The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.