May Day, May Day
Spring is not exactly soup season. But then snow, wind, rain and frigid temperatures in mid-April are not exactly what we expect from "spring showers." For most of us, spring can't come too soon. But while temperatures are still a little cool, a comforting bowl of soup is more in order than salad. Here's one that, while hearty, uses one of the harbingers of spring—fresh chard. You'll find it in abundance in your supermarket, as well as fennel. Any variety of chard will work in this soup, as well as any amount—use more or less than 3 cups. Until May flowers, soup's on.
White Bean Soup with Swiss Chard and Gruyère Croutons
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Ingredients
| 1 | pound dried Great Northern or cannellini beans |
| 1 | cup chopped fennel |
| 3 | large leeks, thinly sliced |
| 1 | (12-ounce) ham hock |
| 1/4 | teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper |
| 7 | cups water |
| 3 | cups coarsely chopped Swiss chard |
| 14 | slices baguette (8 ounces) |
| 1 | cup (4 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese |
Instructions
| 1. | Place beans, fennel, leeks, ham hock and pepper in a large slow cooker. Add 7 cups water. Cook on high 5 to 6 hours or until beans are soft. Add another cup of water if needed. |
| 2. | If desired, mash some of beans with a potato masher to make a creamy consistency. Stir in chard and cook another 15 minutes. |
| 3. | Remove ham hock. Strip lean meat from hock and place in beans. |
| 4. | To prepare croutons, arrange cheese over bread. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly. |
| 5. | Ladle into bowls and top with croutons. Serves 7. |
Nutritional Information
Per serving: 470 calories, 13g fat, 30 prot., 62g carbs, 17g fiber, 380mg sodium.
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