beans & greens soup, for anna

Adapted from “White Bean Soup with Mustard Greens and Parmesan,” a much more specific and descriptive title, by the Bon Appetit Test Kitchen.

Minimum time to cook: 40 minutes (20 hands-on, 20 hands-off)

Serves 3-5 people

Ingredients

• 1 small to medium yellow onion
• 2 large or 3 medium cloves of garlic
• 2 TABLEspoons olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• 2 cups shredded cabbage (optional, if you’re a cabbage-head like me)
• 3 sprigs thyme (optional)
• 1 CAN of cannellini or other white bean
• 6 cups broth or stock, preferably low sodium (so we can add salt to our liking)
• 1 cup of kale, approximately 1/3 of a bunch, sliced into ribbons
• To serve: Parmesan, black pepper, croutons

Directions

Click on each bullet point to expand more detailed instructions.

Dice onion. Slice garlic. Heat pot on stove over medium heat, then add oil or butter. Once heated, add onion and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook 5-7 minutes or until softened, stirring occasionally.

1. Peel onion, then dice, making sure the pieces are small enough that you won’t mind encountering them in your final soup.
2. Lightly smash garlic cloves with the flat blade of your knife to release their skins. Peel cloves, then slice thinly. You can go ahead and mince if you prefer that, but slices aren’t out of place in this soup.
3. Place a heavy-bottomed soup pot (Dutch oven, stock pot, large saucepan) on the stove over medium heat. Allow to preheat. Add oil or butter to the pot.
   1. If using oil: once pot is heated, add oil. Let cook until the oil starts to shimmer and smell almost fruity, about 1 minute.
   2. If using butter: once pot is heated, add butter. Cook until melted.
4. Add diced onion and sliced garlic to the pot and stir. Add a big pinch of salt (about half a teaspoon) and 5-8 grinds of black pepper.
5. Set a timer for 5 minutes. Stay near the stove, stirring once. When the timer goes off, check onions. If they are not yet soft, allow to cook for the additional time needed.

While onion and garlic cook, core and dice cabbage, if using. Open, drain, and rinse beans. When aromatics are done, add cabbage, thyme leaves if using, and beans to pot. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes over medium heat.

1. While the onion and garlic are on the stove, turn your attention to the cabbage. If it is not already shredded, slice into thin ribbons. Rotate the cabbage 90 degrees and do a (safe) rough chop to get the ribbons down to bite sized.
2. Probably a good time to check the onions and stir!
3. Open the can of beans. In a fine-mesh sieve or colander with smaller holes, drain over the sink. Rinse them until the water underneath runs clear and allow to drain again.
4. When onion and garlic are done, add cabbage, beans, and the stripped leaves from 3 sprigs of thyme. To strip, either lay flat on a cutting board and scrape with knife, or pinch fingers around sprig and slide.
5. Season with another big pinch of salt, or about half a teaspoon, and another 5-8 grinds of pepper.

Add broth or stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let simmer for 15 minutes, then taste. Add salt or water to balance the broth. Add kale. Let simmer another 5 minutes, then remove from heat, add toppings, and serve.

1. Add the broth or stock to the pot. Turning the heat up to medium-high, bring the soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer. Set a timer for 15 minutes.
2. When the timer goes off, taste the soup. If it’s too salty, add water a ½ cup at a time until it tastes balanced. If it tastes watery, overly savory with no counterbalance, or otherwise dull, add salt a ½ teaspoon at a time, stirring to dissolve and tasting after every addition.
3. Add the chopped kale and stir into soup.
4. Let simmer another 3-5 minutes to let the kale soften.
5. TURN OFF THE STOVE.
6. Remove pot from heat (move it to one of the burners that you were not using). Ladle into bowls, then top with shredded Parmesan, croutons or crackers, a few grinds of black pepper, a dollop of sour cream, or anything else that strikes your fancy. But I highly recommend that you do the Parmesan. 🙂

Addendum: possible riffs on this eminently riffable soup

1. Substitute different ALLIUMS: Instead of the yellow onion, substitute an equivalent amount of sliced leeks or diced shallot.
2. Substitute different FILLERS: Instead of cabbage, add 1 cup of diced potatoes. Bring to a boil and let cook for about 8-10 minutes in step 2 instead of 4-5. Poke at least 3 potato pieces with a fork to make sure they are cooked through before moving to the next step. Alternatively,
3. Substitute different BEANS: Try garbanzo, try black beans, try navy beans. Beans!!
4. Substitute different GREENS: Any hardy greens will do! Instead of kale, substitute equivalent quantity of mustard greens, swiss chard, etc.
5. If you are a person who thinks of such things and has a Parmesan rind on hand, you could absolutely add it to the broth while it simmers. This can lead to the annoying problem of melty cheese bits in the soup. You can leave them if you like them, skim them off if you don’t, or wrap the cheese in a layer of cheesecloth secured with butcher’s twine before adding it to the soup.

How To’s

1. How to make this faster:
   • Use frozen diced onions in place of the fresh
   • Use jarred minced garlic in place of the fresh
   • You can use pre-chopped kale in this recipe, but just know that most pre-chopped kale does not come with stems removed. The stems are a little fibrous and chewy, but if that doesn’t bother you, then this is an excellent way to avoid some chopping.
2. How to use this best:
   • This is another strong pantry meal to keep in your back pocket. All of its ingredients keep for at least two weeks if stored properly (onions, garlic, beans, oil, and seasonings are all shelf stable in the pantry; kale stores well upright in a jar with water and the plastic bag the grocer gives to you over the leaves – I’ve had a bunch of kale like this in my refrigerator for a week and a half that’s still doing quite well; cabbage stores great in a plastic bag in the produce drawer; broth can be canned, frozen, or in bouillon form; and oil and seasonings are shelf stable). That means it’s easy to keep these ingredients on hand so that you don’t have to go to the grocery store every time you want to make it.

love you stay fed!