INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Soak the beans overnight in a large bowl with enough water to cover by 2
inches. Drain the beans and run them under cool water. Place the drained
beans in a large pot with the he 3 quarts of water over high heat. Add the
salt, 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper, and the 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the
water; bring to a boil then lower the heat and cook the beans about 1 hour
or until tender. Remove a third of the beans and reserve for garnish; leave
the remaining beans in their cooking water.
Remove the stems of the Swiss chard and finely julienne. Reserve the
leaves. Add the Swiss chard stems, onion, carrots, celery, tomato paste and
the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper to the cooked beans. Bring to a boil and
cover. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about an hour or until
the vegetables and beans are very tender.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice the Italian
bread and brush it with the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil. Place on a baking
sheet and toast in the oven until golden brown.
Remove the center rib from the reserved Swiss chard leaves and cut each
leaf into eighths.
When the soup is ready, ladle the hot mixture into the blender and puree.
(It should have a thick, winter-soup consistency; if too thick, add some
boiling water.) Mix in the parsley, basil, reserved beans and cut-up Swiss
chard leaves. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
Place 2 slices of toasted bread in each serving bowl, ladle the soup on top
and serve immediately.
Yield: 6 first course servings, or 4 as a main dish
Nutritional information: Calories: 557, Fat: 15 grams.
Recipe courtesy of Chef David Ruggerio and "Little Italy Cookbook"
Recipe by: RECIPE FOR HEALTH SHOW #RHJ037
Posted to MC-Recipe Digest V1 #844 by 4paws@netrax.net (Shermeyer-Gail) on
Oct 13, 1997

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