Autumn has arrived the air has chilled and once again soup season is here.
The late Laurie Collin who wrote for the food column in Gourmet magazine, said, “to feel safe and warm on a cold wet night, all you really need is soup.”
What’s In A White Bean and Swiss Chard Soup
To start, this is a soup that is filling, low calorie, and nutrient-dense.
This soup has texture, that includes leafy vegetables, beans, and lean protein.
Not only is it fun to throw it all in the pot, but a diverse soup like this one can help promote satiety and keep you fuller longer.
The Flavor of Swiss Chard
Chard’s flavor is comparable to spinach, although this depends on what cooking technique is used.
Swiss chard can be bitter. Cooking tends to diminish the bitterness so that its earthy, sweet, almost beetlike flavor is more pronounced.
Swiss Chard is used in a variety of dishes and is just as versatile as spinach.
It’s used in salads, stir-fries, soups, casseroles, and dumpling recipes.
White Beans
White beans range in size and flavor with cannellini beans being the most popular to cook with.
The Cannellini bean is the largest of the white bean group and because of their traditional kidney shape, they can also be referred to as White Kidney Bean.
They are meatier than Navy or Great Northern beans, and they have a nutty, earthy flavor with tender flesh.
Because of their texture and retaining their shape after being cooked, makes them a perfect choice to use in salads, soups, stews, and chili.
Another White Bean Soup: Red Kale Cannellini Beans and Chorizo Soup
Nutritionally speaking, white beans are packed with fiber and protein and a good source of numerous micronutrients, including folate, magnesium, zinc, potassium, and vitamin B-6.
Cannellini White Bean Soup with Swiss Chard
This soup can also be made gluten-free by substituting gluten-free pasta or orzo.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped (1 ½ cups)
13 ounce cooked diced chicken sausage, (cut into half-moons) or sausage of your choice
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped (1 Tbsp.)
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary *see note below
¾ teaspoon Himalayan salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 15-oz. cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups chicken broth
1 dried bay leaf
1/2 cup Ditalini Pasta, uncooked
3 cups packed roughly chopped Swiss chard, stems and ribs removed *see note below
Parmesan cheese, for garnishing
Recipe Notes
* You may substitute fresh Rosemary for either thyme, tarragon or savory.
* Save Chard stems to use as part of a omelet filling – Like this one: Red Swiss Chard & Asparagus Omelette
Heat oil in a Large pot over medium-high. Add onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
Add garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add beans, broth, and bay leaf.
Bring mixture to a boil over high. Reduce heat to a low simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf.
Stir in chard. Cook, stirring often, until wilted and slightly softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Garnish with Parmesan.
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