Swiss Chard and Veggie Soup
Swiss chard is one of my all-time favourite vegetables to grow. You plant it in the spring, it does not go bitter in the summer and it will tolerate cold weather and even a light snow fall. The stems of Swiss chard have a rainbow of colour and flavours, which are brilliant with the rest of the veggies in this soup. The flavour boosters garlic, rosemary, parmesan and white wine combine to make the most fabulous soup on that late fall or early winter cold day.
Equipment
- 4-litre stainless steel pot
- 8-litre stainless steel pot
- 12" non-stick frying pan
Ingredients
- 1½ cups small dried pasta such as Ditalini Once cooked, you should have approximately 3 cups to add to the soup
- 3 tbsp olive oil divided- use 2 tablespoons for sautéing the vegetables and then 1 tablespoon for wilting the Swiss chard
- 2 cups onion diced
- 1 cup Swiss chard stems I grow rainbow blend so that I get a lot of different colours of stems
- ¾ cup carrots peeled and diced
- 1½ tsp garlic minced
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped or use 1 teaspoon of dried
- ½ cup white wine Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc are good choices
- 2 cups tomatoes diced
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup canned red kidney beans rinsed
- 8 cups Swiss chard leaves
- optional: parmesan rind I like to put it in the soup to give the soup more flavour. I remove it before serving
- grated parmesan
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Fill the 4-litre pot halfway with water. Bring to a boil. Add ½ teaspoon of salt and then add the pasta. You want to cook the pasta before adding it to the soup so that the pasta doesn't absorb all the soup liquid.
- Sauté the onion, chard stems, carrots in 2 tablespoons of olive oil for 4 minutes.
- Add the garlic and rosemary and sauté for 1 more minute.
- Add the white wine and simmer until nearly all the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the tomatoes, broth and, if using, a parmesan rind; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Season the soup with salt and pepper.
- While you are waiting for the soup to come to a boil, heat the non-stick frying pan on medium-high with a tablespoon of olive oil. Once heated, add the Swiss chard and cook until wilted. Cooking the Swiss chard before adding it to the soup preserves the colour.
- Once the soup has cooked for 5 minutes add the cooked pasta and the red beans.
- Add the wilted Swiss chard.
- Ladle the soup into bowls, top with parmesan cheese and serve.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 257kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 11gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gSodium: 192mgPotassium: 804mgFiber: 6gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 6034IUVitamin C: 27mgCalcium: 75mgIron: 3mg
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