Cannellini Chard Soup
It’s soup season! I love soup - love it, and my favorite soup is whatever the heck the people in Northern Italy come up with. This soup, topped with olive oil and grated parm reminds me of the soup my Dad and I always ordered at this restaurant between Fanna and Aviano. Of course I can’t remember the name of the place, but it was always packed with locals and the prices were embarrassingly cheap. The soup there was amazing and we always ordered soup before the meals then wishing we had just ordered another bowl of soup rather than a meal. I first made this soup a few weeks ago with the addition of fresh basil and fresh parsley - which gives it an added kick. The only reason I left it out of this batch is that I just plain forgot to buy it at the grocery store. Darn it. I always forget one or two ingredients. This soup is a lot greener with the fresh herbs but still tasty without. There are a million different Minestrones calling my name, and I intend to make them all someday!
Ingredients:
- 2 whole carrots (I buy the organic bulk carrots - trust me, they taste much better than the pre-packaged ones, baby or big-boy)
- 2 stalks celery (optional)
- 1-2 shallots
- 1 bunch swiss or rainbow chard - rainbow is pictured above, pre-rinsed and chopped
- 1 14.28 oz can San Marzano tomatoes
- 2 15 oz cans cannelloni beans, drained
- 1 bunch fresh basil (about 1/3-1/2 cup chopped) or 1/2 TB dry
- 1 bunch fresh parsley (ditto)
- 8 cups water + chicken and vegetable boullion - I do 1/2 and 1/2 to taste - the amount added will depend upon the brand of boullion you buy
- pepper to taste
- freshly grated parm
- evoo to drizzle on top
Method:
- In a soup pot, pre-heat the pot on medium-high and add some olive oil
- Chop up carrots, celery, and shallots - add to pot, stir and cook about five minutes or until some of the vegetables begin to brown slightly
- Add the water and the boullion, allow to boil until carrots start to become tender
- Add chard, tomatoes and herbs - cook on low until carrots are completely tender
- Add cannelloni beans and some freshly grated pepper and serve topped with some freshly grated parm and olive oil…or a big crusty baguette toasted rubbed with garlic and olive oil and toast…yummy….
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
mmmmm sounds like a good soup to me
Instead of bouillon would it taste the same if I replaced the water with half chicken stock and half veggie broth? I can never find a bouillon base that isn’t chock full of chemicals and preservatives.
Absolutely- but I make soup all the time and as much as I prefer the stock in the box, it takes up so much room in my cupboard and it’s expensive! For the same reason, I buy organic better than boullion that needs to be refrierated when opened. But the stock is better for sure!
Love the chard! I’d love to see more of your favorite soup recipes.
Mmm, I love a nice warm soup on a cool day - perfect!
ann -
hello, my name is Grace and i’m a student journalist for a student-run publication at the University of California, Berkeley. i am doing a piece on staying on your diet while eating out, and when i came across this picture of your soup, thought it would work perfectly for our article. i would need your permission for me to use this picture, which would accompany a section that would say, START WITH A BROTH-BASED SOUP. please respond back as soon as possible if you don’t mind us using this picture. we will definitely include you in the credits for the photo. thank you so much.
- grace
Sure Grace, thanks for asking:)