Chard, Bean, and Pancetta Soup |
|
 |
Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 0 Minutes |
Ready In: 0 Minutes Servings: 1 |
|
Assembly Time: about 30 minutes; Reheating Time: about 15 minutes. Notes: Thaw overnight or quick-thaw (see Thawing below). Serve with shredded parmesan cheese, breadsticks, and a crisp salad. Ingredients:
3/4 pound swiss chard |
6 ounces pancetta or bacon, diced (3/4 cup) |
1 cup oven-sautéed onions and garlic |
2 quarts fat-skimmed chicken broth |
1/3 cup lemon juice |
3 tablespoons tomato paste |
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or dried thyme |
5 cans (15 oz. each) cannellini (white) beans, rinsed and drained |
salt and pepper |
Directions:
1. Rinse and drain chard. Trim discolored ends from stems. Thinly slice stems and coarsely chop leaves. 2. In a 5- to 6-quart pan over medium-high heat, stir pancetta often until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. 3. Stir in chard, sautéed onions and garlic, broth, lemon juice, tomato paste, and thyme. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until chard stems are tender-crisp to bite, 2 to 4 minutes; stir occasionally. 4. Stir in beans. Let cool to room temperature, about 1 1/2 hours. 5. Ladle 1/2 the soup into each of 2 plastic freezer bags (1-gal. size). Seal bags and freeze (see Cold Facts below). 6. Thaw 1 bag (see Thawing below). Empty soup into a 3- to 4-quart pan and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 7. Thawing: Cooking times are for thawed, chilled foods. Overnight: The night before serving, place container of frozen food in the refrigerator. Quick-thaw: Heat frozen foods in plastic bags in a microwave oven at 50% power just until pliable, then cook as recipe directs or empty food into a microwave-safe container, drape loosely with microwave-safe plastic wrap, and cook at full power (100%) until steaming. Note: If your microwave accepts metal, you can also quick-thaw dishes frozen in foil pans; follow manufacturer's instructions. 8. Cold Facts. Packaging: freezer bags. If ingredients include liquid, set each plastic freezer bag upright in a bowl, then fill. Squeeze out all air and seal bag. For better protection of frozen foods during storage, seal each bag inside a second one. Lay bags flat in freezer until solid so they will stack. 9. Note: Nutritional analysis is per serving. |
|