Corsican Bean, Pork & Vegetable Soup
A hearty, healthy, soup when you need a Winter Warmer! Tender Cannellini beans swim about with greens, potatoes and bits of pork, in a velvety, rich broth. They know how to warm up on the occasional cold evening in Corsica.
CORSICAN BEAN SOUP WITH GREENS AND PORK
6 ounces dried cannellini beans, soaked several hours (or overnight) in cold water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 green cabbage, chopped (about 6 cups)
2 medium russet or red potatoes, peeled, halved and cut into 1/4-inch-thick half-rounds (about 2 cups)
2 1/2 cups stemmed and chopped Swiss Chard
2 medium leeks, white parts only, chopped (about 2 cups)
2 large carrots, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds (about 1 cup)
3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
8 cups water
1 bouquet garni (1 bay leaf, 2 thyme sprigs, and 3 flat-leaf parsley sprigs, 1 rosemary sprig, tied together with kitchen twine)
1 tablespoon each, finely minced fresh basil and oregano or 1 teaspoon each, dried basil and oregano
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 ham bone or ham hock
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon paste or 1 large cube of bouillon
6 ounces boneless pork shoulder or loin chop
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
extra minced fresh parsley for garnish
Directions
-Place beans in a bowl; add cold water to cover. Cover bowl; let soak 8 hours or overnight.
-Heat oil in a stock pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add cabbage, potatoes, chard, leeks, carrots, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables are wilted, about 10 minutes. Add 8 cups water to cover vegetable mixture. Reduce heat to low, and simmer gently while preparing beans.
-Meanwhile, drain beans. Transfer beans to a medium pot then add water to cover by 2 inches. Add bouquet garni and bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 15 minutes. Drain.
-Add drained beans and bouquet garni to vegetable mixture in Dutch oven. Stir in tomatoes, ham bone, pork, basil and oregano. Stir in bouillon then bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat to low and cover then simmer, stirring occasionally, until beans and vegetables are very tender, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Add more water or broth to soup if the mixture loses too much liquid. Remove and discard bouquet garni and ham bone.
-Ladle soup into bowls, sprinkle with parsley and serve. Serve finely grated Parmesan cheese and garlic pepper seasoning alongside the soup for additional seasoning if desired.
-Makes 8 servings. Soup may be prepared up to 3 days ahead.
Simmer the vegetables gently in the broth until beans are very tender and the broth becomes silky. Shred the pork and any bits of ham that may be in the broth, into small pieces.
Serve soup with finely grated Parmesan cheese and a garlic-chile-pepper condiment on the side.
Full of hearty winter vegetables, this comforting soup is filling without being heavy. Using dried beans is the key to the satisfying richness of the broth.
PERSNICKETY NOTES:
**Cannellini beans are used frequently in Italian cooking but are sometimes hard to find in US stores. They are also known as “White Kidney Beans”. The best substitutes for these beans are Navy Beans or Great Northern Beans, if you can’t find Cannellini.
**Canned, drained Cannellini beans may be used instead of dried beans if necessary. For canned beans, use 1 1/2 cups of drained beans in this recipe.
**Kale or spinach can be substituted for the chard in this recipe. Or add a bit of all 3 if you like.
**A “Bouquet garni” (garnished bouquet) is a french term for a bunch of herbs tied together with string or placed in a small bag made of cheesecloth or a tea strainer, used to season soups and stews. The herbs are placed in the cooking stew or soup to season the broth, then removed after cooking.
