Greens & Beans Soup (Φασόλια με Χόρτα)
Serves 6
Greens and Beans Soup is an old stand-by that always turns out well. I make it when I’m feeling under the weather and can’t manage more than chopping a few vegetables. Greens and Beans Soup is a particularly great recipe because its ingredients aren’t cast in stone. No kale? Make it with Swiss chard or spinach (adding these tender greens later in the cooking process than kale). No cannellini beans? Use chickpeas or white Northerns. No leeks? Use onions. Not enough celery or carrots? Use less. No matter how you change the recipe, combining greens and beans in a soup always turns out well.
2 cups diced leeks, white part only, 1/2” dice
1 1/2 cups diced celery, including leaves, 1/2” dice
1 cup diced carrots, 1/2” dice
3-4 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. kale, stems discarded, leaves roughly chopped
8 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
3 bay leaves
1 tsp. crushed red peppers
2 cups cooked, or 1 15 ounce can, cannellini beans
Grated cheddar, fontina, or parmesan cheese (optional)
Sauté leeks, celery, and carrots in olive oil, lightly seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper, until vegetables soften and leeks start to turn golden. Add kale and garlic and stir to coat greens with oil. Add stock, bay leaves, crushed red pepper, and beans, and bring to a boil. Partially cover pot, turn heat down to low, and simmer soup for 30-40 minutes, or until flavors have blended. Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed. Serve with grated cheese sprinkled over top of soup.