“Soup’s On” — and a Bit More!

Vegetable Soup with Swiss Chard (Makes 4 1/2 Quarts, Serves 8)

Ingredients:
1     Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2     Medium-size onions, sliced
1     Leek, white and light green parts, thinly sliced
12   Cups water or vegetable stock
2    Celery stalks, sliced lengthwise and cut into diagonal slices
2    Carrots, peeled, cut lengthwise, and cut into diagonal slices
1     Tablespoon dried oregano
1     Tablespoon dried basil
1/2 Teaspoon dried thyme
2    Bay Leaves
4    Teaspoons salt or to taste
2    Ears of corn, kernels scraped off
1     Bunch Swiss chard stalks (2 cups approximately) cut diagonally
1     Yellow squash, quartered and sliced on a diagonal
1     Cups green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
1     14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1     Cup uncooked pasta shells
3    Cups Swiss chard leaves that have been washed, stripped from stalks, and sliced into strips
1     Cups cooked chickpeas or kidney or white beans
Parmesan cheese to taste...

Directions:
1.  In a large stockpot, heat oil and saute onions and leek for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden and sweet.

2.  Add water or stock, celery, carrots, herbs, 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, and salt.  Bring to boil and simmer partially covered for 15 minutes.

3.  Add corn, chard stalks, squash, green beans, and tomatoes.  Simmer for another 10 minutes.  Turn up heat.  Add pasta and cook for 5 minutes.  Add Swiss chard leaves and simmer for 5 minutes longer, or until pasta is just cooked and chard is tender.

4.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  Serve each steaming portion of soup with a sprinkling of the remaining parsley, plus Parmesan cheese on top.

This recipe may be found in the book Greens Glorious Greens! by Johnna Albi and Catherine Walthers.