White Bean and Greens Soup

Yesterday it was the perfect day for baking, and cooking here in LA. Cold, wet and rainy so I needed to come up with something to warm the cockles of my heart. Soup was on the agenda. A simple soup was the option, one that would be healthy as well as tasty. This simple soup fit the bill and was rounded off with fresh baked bread. (Yesterday I was a regular Julian Child in the kitchen).

In this soup you can use any green you want that is in season and looks good in the produce section. This soup I used mustard greens for their peppery bite, but kale or even beet greens would have worked just as well.

This soup could easily be made vegetarian by substituting a vegetable broth for the chicken broth. It would remain healthy as you are getting your protein from the beans not the broth, and the fiber rich greens are still there to clean out your pipes as my Uncle Al would have said.

White Bean and Greens soup

• 2 cups small white beans
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 medium onion diced
• 3 small carrots sliced
• 1/2 green pepper diced
• 1 T garlic - minced
• Salt to taste
• 1 t ground black pepper
• 1 bunch mustard greens - trimmed and coarse chopped
• bay leaf
• 1 t rosemary
• 1 can (49oz) chicken broth

Cover beans with water and soak over night. Drain and refill stock pot with 8 cups water. Add bay leaf and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 1.5-2 hours until beans are tender. Drain well and put aside.

Saute onion, carrots and green pepper in olive oil until onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook one more minute. Add rosemary and a new bay leaf. Add chicken broth and simmer 30- minutes until carrots are soft. Add greens and cook until wilted but still tender crisp, about 5 minutes.