Chard and White Bean Soup

During the holidays the family spends many hours cooking together.  It is exhausting but so much fun! The one thing we need to practice is restraint.  We really don't have to make everything that looks yummy, but it seems as though we try.  One morning, my oldest daughter sent me an email (from across the house..LOL).  It said, I want to make this for dinner tonight.  The email included a recipe for a Chard and White Bean Stew that looked delicious, but since there was no meat involved I am renaming it soup.

When I agreed, she said, "Oh, and you put a poached egg on top."  What?  Egg on top of soup?  It was time to be adventurous...I was assured that it was delicious.


Chard and White Bean Soup
adapted from Smitten Kitten

1 large bunch Swiss chard, cleaned, ribs and stems removed
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 carrots, chopped (about a generous cup, or to your liking)
2 ribs celery, chopped (about a cup)
4 medium shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup dry white wine
3 15-ounce cans white beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups chicken stock
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 bay leaf
4-5 sprigs of thyme, leaves stripped and stems discarded
1 Tbsp sherry vinegar

Toast country bread or baguette, poached eggs, chopped fresh parsley and grated Parmesan to top the dish.

Bring a medium pot of water to boil.  Cook chard (or an heavier green) for one minute, drain and squeeze out extra water.  Coarsely chop the chard.

In a medium pot, heat olive oil over medium.  Add carrots, celery, shallots and garlic and saute for 15 minutes.  Add the wine, scrapping up any bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pot, and cook it until it reduced by three fourths.  Add beans, stock, tomatoes, a few pinches of salt, freshly ground lack pepper, thyme and bay leaf and bring to  a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes.  Add chard and cook for 5 minutes more.  Remove bay leaf.  Add more broth if you like a thinner soup and adjust seasoning to taste.

Serve drizzled with sherry vinegar.

Poach eggs, one per serving.

Prepare the bread by spreading with butter or olive oil and toasting under the broiler.  Rub bread surface with half a clove of garlic when removed from broiler.  Bread may be served along side the soup or ladle the soup on top of the bread.  Top that with the poached egg, a sprinkle of grated Parmesan and chopped parsley.

This is a keeper recipe and yes, I put the poached egg on mine even though I wasn't too sure....  
It was much more delicious than it sounded and I will do it again!






Comments

  1. It's tasty stuff! :-) I'm glad you were adventurous!

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  2. Nice change to a typical soup. Smart daughter picking this out!!!

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  3. I enjoy bean soups also, but I cook them in Out Door Cast Iron Dutch Ovens.
    Look into my blog and become a follower if it is something you would like to do.
    The Outlaw Gourmet

    roguedutchovencookers.blogspot.com

    Thank you.

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  4. We make a white bean with greens soup, but I'll have to show this one to Bev as she seems to always prefer those that include tomatoes. At 30* and snow flurries predicted for later on, I should be making soup, but it will be a rotisserie chicken on the grill instead - hopefully the sun will stay out past cooking time.

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  5. Yum! I will try this, and I love putting poached eggs on top of a thick soup or curry!

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  6. This soup does look delicious. the poached egg on top brings it up a notch.

    I have plenty of swiss chard in the garden that would be ideal for this soup.

    Thanks for sharing.

    Happy New Year.

    Velva

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  7. Sounds like my kinda soup! Where have you found sherry vinegar? I've been looking for it for some other recipes, too. Thanks. xoA

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  8. I love the idea of a poached again on top! Chard and beans sounds like one great combination. I'm making these keeper,too.

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  9. Love the ingredients in your soup. Just discovered Swiss chard this year and I love it so. Haven't tried poached eggs on stews or soups, but everyone says they're good, so it must be true.

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  10. I make a very similar soup regularly....but I add in some chopped Chorizo aswell. It is also delicious. I will try your addition of a poached egg though.

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  11. This sounds wonderful. I make a very simple white bean soup quite often. Swiss chard sounds like a nice addition as does the egg on top. I love the adventure!

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  12. Yes please, wonderful idea to put an egg on top - delicious soup - i could gladly live on this type of food
    Mary x

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  13. This soup looks delish! And I always put eggs on top of soups! It adds soooo much! Thanks for sharing :)

    Bailey
    http://lostandfound-bailee.blogspot.com/

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