White Bean Soup with Winter Greens

Ingredients

• 1 pounds dried white beans
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 organic carrots, diced into 1/3-inch pieces
• 4 cloves organic garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons Italian parsley, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock (preferably homemade)
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper
• 3/4 pound winter greens (kale, chard, dandelion greens, collard greens, or turnip greens)
• Grated parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Soak beans 8 hours or overnight in water to cover by 1 inch.
2. Drain beans.
3. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large pot over moderate heat.
4. Add onion, carrots, garlic, parsley and bay leaves; sauté until vegetables are slightly softened, about 10 minutes.
5. Add drained beans, broth, and 2 cups water. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Bring to a simmer, cover and adjust heat to barely simmering.
7. Cook, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
8. Remove the bay leaves.
9. In a food processor or blender, purée 4 cups of the beans and vegetables with some of their liquid.
10. Return the purée to the pot and stir well. If needed, thin soup with water.
11. Wash greens well, removing any bruised leaves, thick ribs and stems.
12. Stack leaves, a few at a time, roll into a log and slice crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide ribbons.
13. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
14. Add greens and boil until tender, a few minutes.
15. Drain, reserving about 2 cups of cooking liquid.
16. Stir greens into soup.
17. Cover and simmer an additional 5 minutes. Thin soup if needed with reserved cooking liquid.
18. Taste and adjust seasoning.
19. Top each portion with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.