White Bean Soup | goodmotherdiet

This mostly ‘green’ soup is like Spring in a bowl. Dark leafy dino kale, sweet sugar snap peas and cannelini beans are all nestled in a tasty leek infused broth. Topped with a lemony pistachio pesto, salty shaved parmesan and red pepper flakes, this is one flavor packed bowl. Did I say Ready in less than 30 Minutes? I love eating with the seasons when vegetables are at their peak in freshness, nutritional value and flavor. Usually when vegetables are so abundant, they are also the cheapest. For the greatest freshness look for foods that are locally grown and preferably organic.

Did you know that fruits and vegetables are still ‘alive’ and continue to breathe after picking through a process called respiration, which leads to a loss of nutrients the longer it takes for them to be transported and sold. In addition, fruits and vegetables have a higher nutritional value when they are picked ripe, as opposed to picking them before they are ripe and letting them ripen later (for shipping purposes), except for certain crops like tomatoes. They might get to the right color and ripeness but won’t reach their highest nutritional levels, so buying local is the best bet if you can. Or sometimes, frozen is the best choice since they are picked ripe and frozen right away. (Livestrong)

I made this minestrone twice this week. The first time I made it, my husband went back for fourths and my 21 year old son ate all the leftovers. It was such a disappointment to find the empty container the next morning. Darn, no free lunch… So I decided to make it again a few days later for a casual dinner party I hosted for eight women, but this time I doubled the recipe. I was afraid of overcooking the vegetables while waiting for everyone to arrive and giving them all a chance to have cocktails with the chickens (yes, that is a thing when you have chickens). So I prepared the soup base, added the cannelini beans and turned the burner off. Once the soup was only warm and not hot, I added the veggies and let it sit until just before we were ready to eat. By the time it heated back up, the veggies were the perfect crisp tender. Of course, the fun part is allowing your guests to ‘decorate’ their own bowls with the delicious pesto, shaved parmesan and red pepper flakes. The bread can also be toasted ahead of time as it is fine at room temperature.

This soup gets much of it’s flavor from a good vegetable broth that is poured over sauteed onions, celery and leeks. Italians call this sauteed vegetable mixture soffrito, which is the foundation on which many Italian sauces, and other dishes are built. Traditional ingredients were lard and finely chopped parsley and onion, but modern cooks substitute olive oil or butter. Garlic, celery, or carrot may be included. Italian cooks often make a big batch of soffrito and save it to use in various recipes. Soffrito can be made 3 days ahead. Let it cool; cover and chill, or freeze up to 1 month

TIPS: Leeks are a delicious addition to soups but can harbor dirt between it’s many layers which will make your soup stock gritty. The easiest way to clean them is to cut off the stem and the dark green end, then slice in half vertically. Run each half under running water fanning the layers like a deck of cards to rinse out any dirt. Then chop into one quarter inch pieces.

RECIPE ADAPTED FROM SPRING MINESTRONE VERDE FROM BON APPETIT, MAY 2016

SPRING MINISTRONE VERDE

¼ cup olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 medium leek, white and pale-green parts only, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 Tbsn fresh thyme leaves (or 1 tsp dried)
1 bay leaf
4 cups vegetarian broth or water
1 14.5-ounce can cannellini (white kidney) beans, drained and rinsed
6 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed, sliced in half crosswise
½ bunch small Tuscan kale, ribs and stems removed, leaves torn
1 cup shelled fresh peas (from about 1 pound pods) or frozen peas, thawed
salt and pepper to taste
shaved Parmesan (optional)
red pepper flakes (optional)
Pesto (recipe below)
4 ¾-inch-thick slices country-style bread, toasted

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook onions, leeks, and celery, stirring often, until soft but not browned, 6–8 minutes.

Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer

Remove the tough rib from the kale and roughly chop leaves.

Destring snow peas and cut in half

Place slices of bread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Spray or brush with olive oil and broil until golden brown. Turn and repeat on the other side.

Add beans and sugar snap peas; cook until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes.

Add kale and peas and cook until kale is wilted and peas are tender, about 3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper.

Serve soup, topped with pesto, parmesan and red pepper flakes, with toast and pesto.

PESTO

2 tablespoons pistachios (pumpkin seeds or pine nuts)
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 cup (packed) basil leaves
1 cup (packed) parsley leaves with tender stems
⅔ cup olive oil, divided
½ cup finely grated Parmesan
½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

Pulse pistachios in a food processor. Add garlic, basil, parsley, and ⅓ cup oil in a food processor until a coarse purée forms. Add Parmesan, lemon zest, and remaining ⅓ cup oil; season with salt and pepper, if needed.

Minestrone Verde with Spring Vegetables

Servings: 4
Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: easy
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¼ cup olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 medium leek, white and pale-green parts only, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 Tbsn fresh thyme leaves (or 1 tsp dried)
1 bay leaf
4 cups vegetarian broth or water
1 14.5-ounce can cannellini (white kidney) beans, drained and rinsed
6 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed, sliced in half crosswise
½ bunch small Tuscan kale, ribs and stems removed, leaves torn
1 cup shelled fresh peas (from about 1 pound pods) or frozen peas, thawed
salt and pepper to taste
Thinly shaved Parmesan and crushed red pepper flakes (for serving)
Pesto (recipe below)
4 ¾-inch-thick slices country-style bread, toasted

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook onions, leeks, and celery, stirring often, until soft but not browned, 6–8 minutes.
Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer
Place slices of bread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Spray or brush with olive oil and broil until golden brown. Turn and repeat on the other side.
Add sugar snap peas; cook until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes.
Add kale, beans, and peas and cook until kale is wilted and peas are tender, about 3 minutes.
Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper.
Serve soup, topped with pesto, parmesan and red pepper flakes, with toast and pesto.

PESTO

2 tablespoons pistachios (pumpkin seeds or pine nuts)
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 cup (packed) basil leaves
1 cup (packed) parsley leaves with tender stems
⅔ cup olive oil, divided
½ cup finely grated Parmesan
½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

Pulse pistachios in a food processor. Add garlic, basil, parsley, and ⅓ cup oil in a food processor until a coarse purée forms. Add Parmesan, lemon zest, and remaining ⅓ cup oil; season with salt and pepper, if needed.

Looking for a great NFL Playoff Game dinner idea? I had the pleasure of trying this lovely soup at a football party last week, compliments of Barbara McCrum. It was really delicious. I know I went back for seconds! Barbara served the soup with an arugula salad with toasted marcone almonds and crumbled goat cheese tossed in vinaigrette. To top it off, Dawn O’Dell made the most decadent dark chocolate bark with coconut, dried fruit and sea salt. We were all licking every last bit of chocolate off our fingers, it was that good. I am off to Cuba this week so will not be in my kitchen, however, I am featuring Barbara and Dawn as my guest chefs today. Thank you Barbara and Dawn for sharing!

The White Bean & Swiss Chard Soup is vegan, low fat and loaded with nutrients and protein. It is surprisingly creamy even though there is no milk or cream (due to pureeing some of the beans). You can substitute any dark leafy green for the swiss chard. The chocolate bark is also vegan and using a 70% chocolate makes it super rich in antioxidants and considered a superfood. The nuts and fruits add good oils plus vitamins and minerals, so this is a yummy dessert you can feel good about eating!

Of course after that fun party and delicious meal, I had to run out and buy the cookbook that both of these recipes came from, “It’s All Good” by Gwyneth Paltrow. This is a great cookbook for those on special diets, like vegan, gluten free or elimination, or even just for people who want to eat well. It is not vegetarian but features really healthy and fairly simple but delicious recipes. If we can all look like Gwyneth Paltrow, even better! I’m sure GMD will be seeing more from this cookbook…

White Bean and Swiss Chard Soup

Servings: 6
Time: 45-60 minutes
Difficulty: easy
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2 Tbsn olive oil

2 leeks, thoroughly washed and finely chopped

1 large yellow onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 bay leaf

Coarse sea salt

4 cups vegetable stock

14 oz can cannellini or gigante beans

1 bunch swiss chard, leaves roughly chopped and stems discarded

Freshly ground pepper

Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the leeks, onion, garlic and bay leaf along with a heavy pinch of salt and cook, stirring now and then, until softened but not browned, 10 minutes.
Add the vegetable stock and the beans to the pot and turn up the heat. Once the soup comes to a boil, lower the heat and simmer until everything has completely softened and the soup is wonderfully fragrant, about 20 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
Carefully puree 2 cups of the soup in a blender or food processor and return it to the pot. Add the swiss chard and cook over medium high heat just until they’ve wilted, about 3 minutes. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with a fresh tossed salad.

White Bean & Swiss Chard Soup

Dark Chocolate Bark

Servings: 6-8
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: easy
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Dark Chocolate Bark with Coconut, Almonds & Sea Salt

7 oz good quality dark chocolate (like Green & Black’s 70% bars), roughly chopped

2 Tbsn sliced almonds, roasted

2 Tbsn combination dried apricots, cherries and golden raisins, chopped

2 Tbsn unsweetened coconut flakes

1 tsp Maldon sea salt

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Bring a small pot of water to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Put the chocolate in a glass or stainless steel bowl and set it over the pot of water. Stir the chocolate until it’s completely melted and immediately pour it onto the prepared pan.
Evenly sprinkle the rest of the ingredients over the chocolate.
Put the pan in the freezer until the chocolate sets, about 15 minutes. Break the chocolate into pieces and eat immediately, or store at room temperature in an airtight container if your house is cool or in the refrigerator if its summertime.

Chef’s Tip: The more you stir or whisk the chocolate, the shinier it gets. Feel free to use other dried fruits and nuts like cashews, hazelnuts, dried cherries, spicy red chili flakes,

etc.