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!

PRINTABLE RECIPE