“White Bean Soup with Swiss Chard” For "Soupy Tuesday" and Groundhog Day!

Welcome to “Soupy Tuesday!” For those of you that are new to my blog…For the next few months I will be sharing a recipe for a delicious easy soup. As the days get colder, everyone enjoys a hot bowl of soup. So this soup or any soup for that matter is like a welcoming friend. Warm and comforting…If you would like to see a special recipe for soup or have one that you want to share just email me (angellite13(at)optimum(dot)net) or post something in the comments below. I will be happy to give you a shout out. Hope this keeps you warm and cozy for the next few months…

******* I just want to thank all of you who have been sending well wishes and  prayers to my mom who is in a rehab center for her back. Her condition is getting better with her PT and OT. She is trying to regain her strength. It is very slow going and my family thank you for your continuing prayers and thoughts. Also want to let you know that I will be only posting on “Soupy Tuesday” for a while. Thank you dear family and friends.**********
 

Not only is it “Soupy Tuesday” but it is also “Groundhog Day!” Groundhog Day is always in the month of February and is held on February 2nd each and every year. Groundhog Day or Groundhog's Day is a holiday celebrated in New York and Pennsylvania as well as many other states across the USA. In weather lore, if a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day and fails to see its shadow because the weather is cloudy, winter will soon end. If the groundhog sees its shadow, it will return into its burrow, and the winter will continue for 6 more weeks.

You may be saying what is a Groundhog anyway? The groundhog (Marmota monax) is a rodent of the family Sciuridae, belonging to the group of large ground squirrels. It's also known as a woodchuck, whistle pig, or marmot. “Punxsutawney Phil,” in Pennsylvania is the world’s most famous groundhog.

The earliest known American reference to Groundhog Day can be found at the Historical Society of Berks County in Reading, Pennsylvania. The reference was made Feb. 4, 1841 in Morgantown, Berks County, Pennsylvania storekeeper James Morris' diary: "Last Tuesday, the 2nd, was Candlemas day, the day on which, according to the Germans, the Groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters and if he sees his shadow he pops back for another six weeks nap, but if the day be cloudy he remains out, as the weather is to be moderate."

So what do you think will happen today? Will the Groundhog see his shadow or not? What ever will happen, we will still have our bowl of hot soup! Join me today as I share with you a soup called “White Bean Soup with Swiss Chard” Generous measures of Swiss Chard and white beans make this soup filling enough to serve as a main course, accompanied by whole-grain bread and a salad on the side…Enjoy and stay warm….. 

“White Bean Soup with Swiss Chard”

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes Servings: 6

Ingredients:
1 Tbs olive oil
1 large red onion, chopped
1 leek, white part only, halved, rinsed and sliced (see directions below)
1 garlic clove, minced
3 oz Portobello mushrooms, stems & gills removed then dice
1/2 tsp dried thyme
4 cups Chicken Stock or Vegetable Stock
3 oz Swiss chard, cut into strips 1/2 inch wide ( you can also use spinach or kale)
2 cans (15 oz each) Cannellini beans, drained & rinsed

Directions:
1. Sauté the vegetables: In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Add the onion and leek and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, mushrooms and thyme and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid released by the mushrooms has evaporated, about 6 minutes.

(To clean a leek quickly, trim off the dark green tops. Cut the stalk in half lengthwise, leaving the root end intact. Rinse the leek under cold running water, separating the layers to remove any embedded dirt. Prepare as directed, removing the root end.)

2. Finish the soup: Add the stock, chard and beans and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the chard is just tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

“Wine Pairing” This pairs well with rich, medium-bodied white wine. Cin Cin!

           "Please Drink Responsibility"
 




Till Next Time………………………………...

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