Swiss Chard and
Cannellini Soup
I had a nice size bunch of rainbow chard in my fridge that I wanted to devour. I have been liking my greens garlicky these days, but today i wanted do something else so I decided to make soup. There are endless ways to make super tasty, good-for-you vegetable and bean soup . A recipe caught my attention from Oh She Glows with her use of spices, like curry and saffron. I had never cooked with saffron before so I was inspired to make soup with these spices. This hearty soup was incredible. The taste and flavours perfect. Yum. The spices mellowed each other out, with none of them overpowering the other, leaving an enchanting, delicious flavour.
Even if you’re not a curry lover, I bet you will like this soup as the curry taste is so mild. The taste and beautiful reddish colour and consistency of the broth, and chunky vegetables reminded me a lot of a minestrone soup. I also really liked using a vegetable bouillon cube instead of boxed broth, which I find to carry a strong flavour on its own that’s not always appealing. The one cube adds a nice touch, but doesn’t mask the yummy flavours of the vegetables and spices. The chard or “silver beet” is a nutritional powerhouse and is one of the most powerful anticancer foods offering a combination of nutrients, phytochemicals and fiber.
Cannellini Soup
I had a nice size bunch of rainbow chard in my fridge that I wanted to devour. I have been liking my greens garlicky these days, but today i wanted do something else so I decided to make soup. There are endless ways to make super tasty, good-for-you vegetable and bean soup . A recipe caught my attention from Oh She Glows with her use of spices, like curry and saffron. I had never cooked with saffron before so I was inspired to make soup with these spices. This hearty soup was incredible. The taste and flavours perfect. Yum. The spices mellowed each other out, with none of them overpowering the other, leaving an enchanting, delicious flavour.
Even if you’re not a curry lover, I bet you will like this soup as the curry taste is so mild. The taste and beautiful reddish colour and consistency of the broth, and chunky vegetables reminded me a lot of a minestrone soup. I also really liked using a vegetable bouillon cube instead of boxed broth, which I find to carry a strong flavour on its own that’s not always appealing. The one cube adds a nice touch, but doesn’t mask the yummy flavours of the vegetables and spices. The chard or “silver beet” is a nutritional powerhouse and is one of the most powerful anticancer foods offering a combination of nutrients, phytochemicals and fiber.
Ingredients:
1 large bunch swiss chard (about 4 cups chopped)
2 zucchini
2 celery stalks
1 carrot
1 onion
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can cannellini beans
6 cups water
1 cube Vegetable bouillon (I used Harvest sun, organic)
5 garlic cloves
½ Tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp curry powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp unrefined sea salt
Pinch saffron
Pinch cinnamon
1. Wash collard greens well, dry and chop into bite size pieces. Set aside. Bring 6 cups water to boil.
2. Chop zucchini, celery, carrot, onion and garlic. Saute onions in coconut oil in large pot until translucent, then add in celery and carrots and cook for a few minutes.
3. Mix in curry powder, cayenne, cinnamon and garlic with veggies and sauté another minute. Once water boiling (remove ½ cup and set aside to dissolve saffron in), throw in the vegetable bouillon cube and stir until dissolved, then pour into pot with veggies.
4. Take a pinch of saffron and grind in a mortar and pestle before adding them to liquid. Infuse in ½ cup boiling water (don’t infuse in oil, as the volatile oils in the threads will not bleed). True saffron will start to bleed red immediately. Once dissolved add to pot of soup. Can pour some soup broth back into dish where infused saffron to ensure getting all the spice out (my glass was tinged red after I poured it into the pot, so I had to rinse it with the broth a couple of times!).
5. Add tomatoes and bring soup to a boil and simmer 15 minutes, then add in zucchini, swiss chard and simmer another 10-15 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4.
Enjoy!
Note: You can use any greens in place of chard, such as collards, kale or spinach.
1 large bunch swiss chard (about 4 cups chopped)
2 zucchini
2 celery stalks
1 carrot
1 onion
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can cannellini beans
6 cups water
1 cube Vegetable bouillon (I used Harvest sun, organic)
5 garlic cloves
½ Tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp curry powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp unrefined sea salt
Pinch saffron
Pinch cinnamon
1. Wash collard greens well, dry and chop into bite size pieces. Set aside. Bring 6 cups water to boil.
2. Chop zucchini, celery, carrot, onion and garlic. Saute onions in coconut oil in large pot until translucent, then add in celery and carrots and cook for a few minutes.
3. Mix in curry powder, cayenne, cinnamon and garlic with veggies and sauté another minute. Once water boiling (remove ½ cup and set aside to dissolve saffron in), throw in the vegetable bouillon cube and stir until dissolved, then pour into pot with veggies.
4. Take a pinch of saffron and grind in a mortar and pestle before adding them to liquid. Infuse in ½ cup boiling water (don’t infuse in oil, as the volatile oils in the threads will not bleed). True saffron will start to bleed red immediately. Once dissolved add to pot of soup. Can pour some soup broth back into dish where infused saffron to ensure getting all the spice out (my glass was tinged red after I poured it into the pot, so I had to rinse it with the broth a couple of times!).
5. Add tomatoes and bring soup to a boil and simmer 15 minutes, then add in zucchini, swiss chard and simmer another 10-15 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4.
Enjoy!
Note: You can use any greens in place of chard, such as collards, kale or spinach.
Whole Food Sneak Peak:
Swiss Chard
Sometimes called “red beet” or “silver beet”
Chard is commonly referred to as Swiss chard and belongs to the same family as beets and spinach. The stalk comes in three colors: white, red and yellow. Sometimes the 3 varieties are bunched together and labeled “rainbow chard.” The leaves may either be smooth or curly. Their taste resembles beet greens (bitterness) and spinach (slight salty flavour).
Swiss chard is an excellent source of carotenes, dietary fiber, chlorophyll and vitamins C, E and K. It is also an excellent source of minerals, such as iron, potassium, magnesium and manganese. It is a good source of vitamin B6, vitamin A, calcium, thiamine, zinc, niacin, folic acid, selenium and protein.
Swiss Chard
Sometimes called “red beet” or “silver beet”
Chard is commonly referred to as Swiss chard and belongs to the same family as beets and spinach. The stalk comes in three colors: white, red and yellow. Sometimes the 3 varieties are bunched together and labeled “rainbow chard.” The leaves may either be smooth or curly. Their taste resembles beet greens (bitterness) and spinach (slight salty flavour).
Swiss chard is an excellent source of carotenes, dietary fiber, chlorophyll and vitamins C, E and K. It is also an excellent source of minerals, such as iron, potassium, magnesium and manganese. It is a good source of vitamin B6, vitamin A, calcium, thiamine, zinc, niacin, folic acid, selenium and protein.
The ancient Greeks and Romans honoured chard for its medicinal properties – decongestant and laxative effects.
Swiss chard is one of the most powerful anticancer foods with its combination of nutrients, phytochemicals (carotenes, chlorophyll and other plant pigments) and soluble fiber. It particularly protects against digestive tract cancers.
The vitamin K provided by Swiss chard is important for maintaining bone health. The vitamin K1 activates osteocalcin, a protein in bone that anchors calcium molecules inside the bone.
Swiss chard adds unique color and taste to salads, excellent braised with garlic and topped with nuts, goes well in soups, casseroles and pastas.
Swiss chard is one of the most powerful anticancer foods with its combination of nutrients, phytochemicals (carotenes, chlorophyll and other plant pigments) and soluble fiber. It particularly protects against digestive tract cancers.
The vitamin K provided by Swiss chard is important for maintaining bone health. The vitamin K1 activates osteocalcin, a protein in bone that anchors calcium molecules inside the bone.
Swiss chard adds unique color and taste to salads, excellent braised with garlic and topped with nuts, goes well in soups, casseroles and pastas.
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