White Bean and Swiss Chard Soup

David and Camille had colds earlier this week, so I decided to make soup for dinner. Only problem is that I then got really sick with mastitis and landed myself in the hospital for a day and a half, so I didn't end up making this until David was feeling better. Anyway, this soup is not super-exciting to look at, but it was surprisingly quite delicious. The original recipe is from The Williams-Sonoma Collection: Soup and can be found on the Williams-Sonoma website. Here's my version:

1 1/4 cup Great Northern beans, soaked for 4 hours

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 vidalia onions, coarsely chopped

4 carrots, peeled and sliced

1 large bunch Swiss chard, stems removed, cut into thin strips

6 cups low sodium chicken stock

1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup fresh basil, finely chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup mini fusilli

4 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped

Grated pecorino romano cheese

In a large soup pot over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onions and saute, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots and saute for about 3 minutes. Add two-thirds of the Swiss chard and saute until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the stock, beans, tomatoes, basil, and garlic and simmer, partially covered, until the beans are tender, about an hour. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, in a pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente, about 3 minutes. Drain in a colander and set aside.

Using a blender, puree about 2/3 of the soup in batches leaving the remaining 1/3 for texture. Return the soup to the pot. Heat the soup on medium-high heat and add the cooked pasta, about 2 tablespoons of the parsley, and remaining Swiss chard. Cook until the chard is wilted but retains its color, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle parsley and romano cheese on top. 6 servings.