White Bean + Bitter Greens Soup in Lemony-Ginger Broth
Recipe by Emma K. Morris
INGREDIENTS
* 1 large yellow onion, chopped
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* A glug of your oil of choice (I used Safflower) or 1-2 Tbls butter
* 1 inch knob of ginger, peeled
* 1 tsp dried turmeric
* 2 tsp thyme (fresh or dried)
* 1 tsp red chili flakes
* 2 quarts veggie stock — preferably homemade stock
* 1 large lemon, plus more for serving
* 4 cups bitter greens
(I used a mix of escarole and radicchio), chopped Balsamic Vinegar, to taste
* 10-12 oz white beans
(I used soaked/cooked Rancho Gordo Alubia Blanca Beans)
* 1/2 cup pearl couscous
* A good chunk of Parmesan rind
* Salt + Pepper to taste
* Soy sauce or coconut aminos (optional)
* Parsley + fennel fronds, chopped
_
METHOD
* In a large soup pot, sauté the onion in oil (and/or butter) for 2-3 mins over medium heat, add in minced garlic, all spices, and salt + pepper. Sauté for another few minutes until fragrant, stirring frequently.
* Grate in the fresh ginger using a microplane. Cook for 1-2 minutes more. If you’ve got a bottle of wine open, go ahead and deglaze the pan to scrape up all the delicious bits! If not, no biggie, just skip it.
* Add in the veggie stock, the juice of one lemon, couscous, beans, and the parmesan rind. Turn heat to high to bring to a boil.
* Meanwhile, in a separate pan sauté your chopped bitter greens with a bit of salt + pepper, and a hit of balsamic vinegar. Let wilt, about 2-3 mins.
* Scrape the greens into the soup pot and let simmer until the couscous is cooked through and the Parmesan rind’s flavor starts coming through, about 10-15, but you could do longer.
* You’ll need to further season to your liking with salt, chili flakes, balsamic, or even some soy sauce at the end. Finish with chopped parsley + fennel fronds (dill also works well) and serve with a wedge of lemon.
* The flavors really develop overnight in the fridge, especially when you leave the rind in there, so get excited about leftovers!