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!!

White Bean and Pasta Soup with Swiss Chard

Recipe by Rain Frances

Servings

servings

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.