Vegetarian Chard Soup

by Dorothy Reinhold on October 24, 2011


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 I have a Swiss chard plant that sprang up in my vegetable garden, unbidden but not unwelcome. It must have been from an errant Bright Lights chard seed that I thought never would germinate, so I planted something on top of it and went about my gardening business.chard plant in garden

Months later, up pops a gorgeous chard. What magnificent luck!

So when I “heard” Emma Kelly-Hasken on Twitter talking about her dad’s chard soup, I had to have the recipe. I didn’t know her, but since we were both chard lovers, she obliged, and it turned out to be yummy!

She says, “It’s super easy, healthy, and delicious. My dad made up the recipe after growing an abundance of chard a couple of years ago. :) “

Healthy? I’ll say. Chard is a kind of powerhouse of nutrients. It’s one of those veggies that is said to be “nutrient dense,” which means it packs more nutrients in fewer calories, which makes it a good deal, foodwise.

I’m glad her dad had too much chard. I’m hoping to follow suit, by planting more!

chard leaves on a cutting board

Clean and prepare your chard leaves.

chard stems

Chop the gorgeous chard stems.

Vegetarian Chard Soup in the pot.

A relatively quick time in the soup pot makes this a great weeknight dinner.

Recipe: Chard Soup

Summary: A delicious, easy, healthy soup starring nutritional powerhouse Swiss chard. This one is perfect for a weeknight, or how about Meatless Monday?

Ingredients

  • Vegetarian Chard Soup up close1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (evoo)
  • 4-6 large chard leaves, stalks separated (leaves should be in 1- to 3-inch pieces, stalks sliced to ¼-½ inch pieces)
  • 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
  • 32 ounces vegetable broth (or use chicken broth or stock)
  • 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini (or any white) beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 large potato, diced {I leave the skin on for more nutrition}
  • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Garnish: Parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions

  1. Sauté onion in olive oil on medium heat. {I cooked for about 5-7 minutes, until onion begins to brown.}
  2. Add chard stalks, stir and sauté until they are starting to get soft. Add garlic and chard leaves. {See my note below. I would add the stalks here, but save the leaves for later.} Cover and stir occasionally, cook on medium heat for 10-15 min. (until the leaves begin to shrink). {I added the stalks and garlic and cooked for about 2-3 minutes.}
  3. Add stock/broth, tomatoes, beans and potato, plus 1 cup water. Bring to a simmer, and cook 10 minutes, uncovered. {I cooked this step about 15 minutes, adding the leaves at the halfway point.}
  4. Add 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Portion into bowls, and once served, top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Quick notes

About the source: Emma Kelly-Hasken has a beauty & lifestyle blog, which you can visit here.

Variations

My change: I recommend adding the chard leaves about 5-7 minutes before the soup is done, to retain a brighter green color.

Preparation time: 5 minute(s)

Cooking time: 25 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 4

Culinary tradition: USA (General)

My rating 4 stars:  ★★★★☆ 1 review(s)

chard plant growing tall

Can't get enough of how pretty a chard plant is!

 

Tagged as: cannellini, chard, chard soup, Meatless Monday, soup, Swiss chard, tomatoes, vegetable

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