First soup of the season

With the weather finally starting to cool down, I decided to make my first batch of soup for the cold weather season. Last season my favorite was my Wild Rice soup but I wanted to try something different this time around. The Red Chard and White Bean Soup on Yoga Journal’s webpage caught my eye because of it’s simplicity and abundance of greens. The result was great! It was very easy to make and the taste hit the spot on a cold night in my forever cold apartment. I opted to add Upton’s Naturals Italian Seitan for some protein and per my mom’s suggestion. 

Red Chard and White Bean Soup

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 sweet yellow onion, finely chopped
2 medium-sized bunches red chard (1 to 1 1/4 lbs. total), leaves torn to bite-sized pieces, stems and ribs chopped
Sea salt
2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
4 cups vegetable broth
3 cups cooked or canned cannellini or white kidney beans (drained and rinsed if canned)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and the chard ribs and stems. Sprinkle lightly with salt, reduce the heat slightly, and saut´ until vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes.

2. Add the garlic and thyme and cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 more minutes until garlic is fragrant but not browned.

3. Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Stir in the beans and the chard leaves. Cover and simmer until the chard leaves are wilted and tender to the bite, 5 to 7 minutes longer.

4. Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.