Week 16--Swiss Chard

Swiss Chard is a leafy green vegetable often used in Mediterranean cooking.  While the leaves are always green, chard stalks vary in color.  Chard has been bred to have highly nutritious leaves at the expense of the root, which is not as nutritious as the leaves.  Chard is, in fact, considered to be one of the healthiest vegetables available and a valuable addition to a healthy diet.

Swiss Chard is high in vitamins A, K, and C with a 175g serving containing 214%, 716%, and 53%, respectively, of the recommended daily value.  It is also rich in minerals, dietary fiber and protein. (Source:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chard)

For this week's recipe I made a White Bean and Chard soup with Sausage (Note:  You will need some overnight preparation so please read entire recipe first).


Here is what you will need:

Ingredients


2 to 3 bunches of organic chard chopped coarsely (choose colorful stalks for more appeal)
1lb organic dry white beans (use canned if you absolutely must but I recommend cooking your own)
4 to 6 chicken sausages,sliced (I chose Mediterranean sausages from Trader Joes)
1 large organic onion chopped
5 to 6 cloves of garlic minced
1/2 organic orange bell pepper chopped
1/2 organic yellow bell pepper chopped
1 jar of organic marinara sauce
1/4 cup of dry red wine
Chicken stock (you will need about 1qt but maybe more)
cumin
salt
pepper
dry oregano
fresh basil
1TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions


Night Before


Soak beans in about 2 quarts of water

Morning of


Place beans in crockpot on high setting and cook for about 3 to 4 hrs or until done.  Add salt when finished cooking and set aside


Afternoon/evening of


1. Start by sauteing the sausages in the olive oil (about 5 minutes)
2. Add onions and bell peppers and cook for another 3 minutes or until vegetables are tender

3. Add garlic and cook for another minute
4. Add cumin, oregano and basil
5. Add wine and marinara sauce, cover and let simmer about 10 minutes

5. Add Swiss chard, cover and cook for about 10 minutes
6. Add beans and chicken stock and bring to boil.  Reduce temperature and simmer for about 15 minutes

7. Top with freshly chopped basil and Parmesan cheese (if desired)
8. Serve with crusty bread