Swiss Chard And Chickpea Minestrone Food

SWISS CHARD AND CHICKPEA MINESTRONE

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about three minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and the leek. Continue to cook, stirring often, until tender, about three minutes. Add the garlic, stir for about a minute, and then stir in the water, tomato paste and the bouquet garni. Bring to a simmer. Add salt to taste, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas. Taste and adjust salt. Remove the bouquet garni.
• Add the Swiss chard and the pasta to the soup, bring back to a simmer, and simmer another 10 minutes or until the pasta is cooked al dente. Grind in some pepper, taste and adjust seasonings. It should be savory and rich-tasting. Serve in wide soup bowls, with a sprinkling of Parmesan over the top.

CHICKPEAS WITH CHARD

Steps:

• Chop 1 bunch Swiss chard. Saute the stems with 1 each chopped onion and red jalapeno in olive oil over medium-high heat until softened, 3 minutes; season with salt. Add one 15-ounce can chickpeas (drained, liquid reserved); cook, stirring, 3 minutes. Add 2 minced garlic cloves; cook 30 seconds. Add the chard leaves along with the chickpea liquid and 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; simmer until the chard wilts. Stir in the juice of 1/2 lemon.

MOROCCAN CHICKPEAS WITH CHARD

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large pot over high heat. Add onion and jalapeño and sauté until limp, 3 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, salt, turmeric, paprika, cinnamon, cumin, black pepper and cayenne and sauté until they release their fragrance, about 2 minutes. Add tomato paste and sauté for another minute, until darkened but not burned. (If tomato paste looks too dark too quickly, lower heat.)
• Add fennel, chard stems, carrot and turnip and continue to sauté until vegetables start to soften, about 10 minutes. Add chickpeas and water to barely cover.
• Return heat to high if you lowered it and bring to a simmer. Partly cover pot, lower heat to medium low, and simmer for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until chickpeas are softened. Add more water if needed (this should be like a stew).
• Add chard leaves, apricots and preserved lemon to pot and continue simmering until chard is tender, about 5 minutes longer. Season with more salt if desired, and serve garnished with cilantro and reserved fennel fronds.

RED CURRY CHICKPEAS AND SWISS CHARD

Steps:

• Cook a 15.5-ounce can chickpeas (rinsed and patted dry) in olive oil in a skillet over high heat until crisp, 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl. Chop 1 pound Swiss chard. Cook the stems and 2 smashed garlic cloves in oil until soft. Add the chard leaves; cook until wilted. Stir in 4 teaspoons red curry paste and 2 tablespoons water; cook until dry, 2 to 4 minutes. Add to the chickpeas; serve with lime wedges.

CHICKPEA SOUP WITH SWISS CHARD AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• In a heavy soup pot over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté, stirring frequently, until wilted but not browned, 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for a few seconds. Then add the tomatoes, raise the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, just until the tomatoes begin to break down and form a sauce, about 10 minutes.
• While the tomatoes are cooking, cut off and discard the bottom third of the Swiss chard stems. Cut the remaining stem portions crosswise into pieces 1/4 inch wide. Working with several chard leaves at a time, stack them, roll them up lengthwise and then cut crosswise to form ribbons 1/4 inch wide.
• Add the chard, chickpeas and water to the soup pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook uncovered, adjusting the heat as necessary to maintain a simmer, until the vegetables are tender and the flavors have blended, 30-45 minutes. The soup will be brothy and chunky.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into shallow bowls and serve at once.

SWISS CHARD AND WHITE BEAN MINESTRONE

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes to soften. Add the swiss chard and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often until softened. Add the stock and beans and gently bring to a boil. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
• Toast the ciabatta until golden on both sides. Rub the toasted bread with the cut sides of the garlic, then place each one in a serving bowl. Drizzle each piece of bread with olive oil and ladle soup over the bread. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

SWISS CHARD WITH GARBANZO BEANS AND FRESH TOMATOES

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Stir in shallot and green onions; cook and stir for 3 to 5 minutes, or until soft and fragrant. Stir in garbanzo beans, and season with salt and pepper; heat through. Place chard in pan, and cook until wilted. Add tomato slices, squeeze lemon juice over greens, and heat through. Plate, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

CHICK-PEAS AND SWISS CHARD

Steps:

• Cook onion and garlic in oil in a large nonstick skillet over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Add tomato and chick-peas and cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Add Swiss chard and cook, covered, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.