What to Cook this Weekend: White Bean and Chard Soup

It's soup season.  The leaves are turning and there is a cool gust of wind every now and then.  Frankly, I eat soup all year round but I get really excited about making it in the fall.  I'm a big fan of making large batches of several different types and freezing them for future consumption so as not to overdose on one flavor.  The newest addition to my soup repertoire came about because I keep getting a delivery of organic chard.  Chard is good.  I like it, but I must say I struggle to find new and interesting ways to cook it.  I saw this recipe published in Culinate and immediately took it home.  It is the epitome of a fall soup - hearty, healthy, and warm.

Ingredients
2     bunches Swiss chard, washed and trimmed of stems
2 to 4     anchovy fillets, packed in olive oil (I say go easy on the anchovies.)
½     Tbsp. rosemary leaves, fresh
½     of 1 garlic bulb, cloves crushed and peeled
¼     cup extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of red pepper flakes
3     cups cooked white beans
2     cups bean broth (the cooking liquid from the beans) and/or chard water (the water from blanching the chard)
6     cups chicken broth (homemade if you have it, if not 3 14-ounce cans of chicken broth) You could substitute vegetable broth to make this friendly for the vegetarians.
¾     cup dried pasta, small shells or orecchiette (in essence, a shape to catch the beans)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

   1. In a small stock pot, blanch the chard in 2 cups lightly salted, simmering water until the color is set. Drain the chard, reserving any liquid that remains. Coarsely chop the chard.
   2. Very finely chop anchovies together with the rosemary.
   3. In a small saucepan cook the garlic cloves in olive oil over low heat, stirring often, until garlic is pale gold — about five minutes. Discard garlic and pour the garlic-infused oil into a soup pot. Heat oil over medium heat; stir in the anchovies, rosemary, and red pepper flakes. Add chard and cook until tender, stirring to coat the leaves thoroughly with oil. Add the beans, and cook until heated through.
   4. Add up to 2 cups of reserved chard water and bean broth (the liquid from cooking the beans), as well as the chicken broth. Bring to a boil then add the dried pasta and cook until the pasta is tender.
   5. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. To serve, divide the soup among bowls and garnish with grated Parmesan cheese.

Notes

If using canned white beans first thoroughly rinse them before adding to the soup. In place of bean broth make sure you have 2 cups of reserved cooking water from the chard (using a little more water when blanching the chard).

--flauersmartini