Quick White Bean and Tomato Soup with Chard

Quick White Bean and Tomato Soup with Chard

Ingredients

2 cups broth of your choice
1 cup large cooked white beans
1 cup swiss chard, fresh or frozen, cut into 1 inch strips
1/2 c stewed canned or fresh chopped tomatoes plus juice
Salt
Herbs of your choice- try fresh oregano

Materials
Small saucepan
Knife

Method
Combine all ingredients in saucepan, bring to a boil, simmer
Season to taste
Serve with Kristin's Irish Soda/Oatmeal Bread, recipe below

The more time you have, the more dimensions you can give this soup. This was the super-quick version, but you can also start with 1/2 cup diced white or yellow onion and 1/c diced ham and a teaspoon of chopped fresh herbs, cook until carmelized, then add the rest of the ingredients, or sprinkle the ham cubes in at the end... or make your own chicken stock. If you come across an abundance of swiss chard this Fall as I have, wash and chop it, and keep it in zipper bags in the freezer to add to soups like this, or to make a very quick winter vegetable side dish.

This delicious bread was made for me by my friend Kristin. We have been having a slice for breakfast every day, and today I dunked it in my soup. Yum.

Oatmeal Bread

Ingredients:

3 cups flour (I used half whole wheat)
1 1/4 cup quick rolled oats (I used multi-grain)
1 1/2 tablespoon baking power
1 tablespoon salt
1 egg
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease well , dust with flour, a bread pan

In a large bowl mix dry ingredients flour, oats, baking powder, salt In a separate bowl, using a rotary beater, mix wet ingredients egg, honey and milk

Mix two bowls together--mixture will not be smooth--(I think I'd do this part by hand next time).

Pour into bread pan, bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes (mine only took 45 -50 minutes), or until crusty and tester comes out clean.

Pour melted butter over hot loaf and turn out on wire rack.
via cdkitchen.com