Italian Bean, Squash And Spring Green Soup

CATEGORY	CUISINE	TAG	YIELD
Grains, Meats	Italian		4	Servings

INGREDIENTS

2	oz	Dried haricot beans
1		Onion
1		Fennel bulb
1		Celery stick
2		Cloves garlic
4	T	Olive oil
		Black pepper
3	pt	Water or chicken stock
		Piece of parmesan rind
		optional
12	oz	Acorn squash, peeled
8	oz	Spring greens
2	T	Celery leaves
2	T	Fresh thyme
		Salt
		Best olive oil and grated
		parmesan to serve

INSTRUCTIONS

Soak the beans overnight. Drain, cover with water in a saucepan and
simmer for 40 minutes or until tender (or use 4oz tinned haricot
beans).  Chop the onion, fennel and celery. Finely chop the garlic.
Heat the  oil in a large pan and add these vegetables. Season with lots
of  black pepper and fry over a medium heat until softened (about 10
minutes). Add the water or stock. Bring to the boil. Add the beans
with their cooking liquid and the parmesan rind if you have it and
simmer for 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, peel the squash and cut into 1 inch
chunks. Roughly chop  the spring greens. Finely chop the celery leaves
and strip the thyme  leaves.  Add the squash and greens to the soup.
Return to the boil and simmer  for 5 minutes. Add the celery leaves and
thyme and simmer for another  5 minutes. Check squash and greens for
doneness. Taste and add salt  as necessary.  Serve in large bowls with
best olive oil drizzled on the surface (not  absolutely necessary) and
grated parmesan on the side.  Notes  The original recipe said to use
pumpkin. I used acorn squash. It also  said that Italian black cabbage
or Swiss chard could be substituted  for the spring greens.  Posted to
FOODWINE Digest  by Piers Thompson  <piers_thompson@IONICA.CO.UK> on
Sep 12, 1997

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