Another delicious hearty soup is on the menu! Today I’m sharing my recipe for Swiss chard soup with white beans and pasta! This is a healthy vegan soup that is perfect for a cold November evening. Pair this soup with a cold glass of Chardonnay and some thick bread for dipping!
Ingredients for Swiss Chard Soup With White Beans and Pasta
I had Navy beans in the cupboard so I used those for the soup. I always use dry beans that I soak overnight and drain.
I used my light tasting olive oil, some onions and carrots and of course, the star of the show – Swiss chard! It has a similar taste to spinach but when cooked, it has a nice sweetness to it.
Six cups of veggie stock and some diced tomatoes makes the flavor of this soup really nice. I also added garlic and ground basil. I couldn’t find fresh basil this time of year, but I think it would have made the soup even more delicious if I could have found some. I seasoned with a little bit of salt and pepper.
I chose capellini pasta for this soup. You can use any thin noodle like angel hair or spaghettini if you like. Some parsley goes into the soup and I kept some aside for garnish.
How To Make Swiss Chard Soup With White Beans and Pasta
The first step is to prep your veggies and the parsley. I chopped up the carrots and onions into small bits, almost like a dice. I removed the pinkish stems of the Swiss chard; then cut it into thin strips. I find the easiest way to do this is to roll the leaf up like a cigar, then chop it up width-wise.
Next up, I chopped the garlic and parsley.
I warmed up the olive oil in my soup pot and added the onions. I let the onions sauté for about 5 minutes until they softened. I added the carrots and let them sauté for 4 minutes. Then I added HALF of the Swiss chard to the pot and let it wilt for about 2-3 minutes.
Next, I added the broth, tomatoes, beans, basil and garlic to the pot. I gave it a good stir and brought the soup to a boil. I then covered the pot and let the soup simmer for a good hour to let the beans soften up.
While the soup simmered, I boiled my pasta the way I like it. And once the hour simmer was done, I poured half of the soup into my blender and blended it until it was smooth. Then I added it back to the soup pot. When you blend half of the soup, it makes it thicker.
I added the rest of the Swiss chard, the pasta and half of the parsley.
I gave it a stir and let it simmer for 3-5 minutes. After the simmer, I added salt and pepper (to my taste), ladled the soup into bowls and garnished it with parsley.
Bon Appetit!!
This is a healthy vegan soup that is perfect for a cold November evening.
Ingredients
1 cup (220 g) dry white beans, rinsed, soaked, drained
2 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 small bunch Swiss chard, stems removed, cut into thin strips
6 cups (1.5 liters) vegetable broth
1 cup (185 g) diced tomatoes
1.5 tsp (4 g) ground basil
3 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup (75 g) thin pasta noodles broken up (I used Capellini)
4 tbsp (10 g) parsley, divided
Directions
- Rinse the beans and soak overnight or at least for 4 hours. When you’re ready to make your soup, drain them and set them aside.
- In a large pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the carrots and sauté for 4 minutes. Add the Swiss chard and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the vegetable stock, beans, tomatoes, basil and garlic. Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, until the beans are tender, about 1 hour. When the soup is ready, remove from the heat.
- Meanwhile, prepare your pasta by cooking it as you like it. Drain and set aside.
- Transfer half of the soup to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Return the blended soup back to the soup pot, mixing well. Add the rest of the Swiss chard, pasta and half of the parsley. Simmer for 3-5 minutes until the chard is wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the remaining parsley.
Recipe Video Instructions
Notes
- If you use dry beans, always rinse and soak them. I soak mine overnight but if you’re short on time, you can soak them for a minimum of 4 hours.
- If you can find fresh basil, it would be much better! Use 3 tbsp of fresh chopped basil instead of ground basil.
- The easiest way to chop Swiss chard (or any leafy lettuce) into thin strips is to roll it up like a cigar and chop it width-wise.
- If you have a stick blender, blend the soup partially.
Rain, this soup looks so good and it will be one that I will try this winter season. I really like homemade soups and of course serving a cup with some homemade bread is perfect.