Polennnnta.
Mar. 22nd, 2020 11:50 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
madbakerThis week's Resolution Recipe: Bean-Chard Soup with Polenta.
1/2 lb heirloom beans, rinsed and picked over
5 cups water
1 small onion, halved
1 carrot, diced
3 garlic cloves (Ha! You know the drill.)
bouquet garni: a couple sprigs each parsley and thyme, a bay leaf, and a Parmesan rind
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 generous bunch chard, stemmed, washed, and chopped - keep stems and leaves separate
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 cup cooked polenta
grated Parm
Chop half the onion and set aside. Drain beans and cover with 5 c water. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Add unchopped onion, 2 of the cloves of garlic, and the bouquet garni. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 1 hour.Remove the halved onion and whole garlic cloves with tongs.
Heat oil in a skillet and add chopped onion and carrot. Cook for a couple minutes and add chard stems, garlic, and pepper flakes. Cook for a couple more minutes and stir into beans. Add tomato paste, cover, and simmer very gently for 1 hour more. Remove and discard the bouquet garni. Add chard greens and simmer for 5-10 minutes, until greens are tender but still have some color and life.
Meanwhile, cook polenta. When done, spoon into wide soup bowls and press down in the middle with the back of a spoon. Spoon beans and greens with broth over polenta, top with Parm, and serve.
What worked: This was quite satisfying on a cold day. I added about 1/4 lb very fatty ham, diced, which I also used to replace the olive oil when I sauteed the chard. I used an heirloom local "pebble bean", which worked nicely.
What didn't: I should have started the polenta much earlier; you're supposed to have set polenta with beans and broth, not watery polenta mixed in to the soup. Also, I didn't see that I was supposed to hold back the chard leaves - so I didn't, and they were thoroughly wilted (but still good).
Will I make it again? It'll be a winter dish, yes.
1/2 lb heirloom beans, rinsed and picked over
5 cups water
1 small onion, halved
1 carrot, diced
3 garlic cloves (Ha! You know the drill.)
bouquet garni: a couple sprigs each parsley and thyme, a bay leaf, and a Parmesan rind
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 generous bunch chard, stemmed, washed, and chopped - keep stems and leaves separate
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 cup cooked polenta
grated Parm
Chop half the onion and set aside. Drain beans and cover with 5 c water. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Add unchopped onion, 2 of the cloves of garlic, and the bouquet garni. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 1 hour.
Heat oil in a skillet and add chopped onion and carrot. Cook for a couple minutes and add chard stems, garlic, and pepper flakes. Cook for a couple more minutes and stir into beans. Add tomato paste, cover, and simmer very gently for 1 hour more. Remove and discard the bouquet garni. Add chard greens and simmer for 5-10 minutes, until greens are tender but still have some color and life.
Meanwhile, cook polenta. When done, spoon into wide soup bowls and press down in the middle with the back of a spoon. Spoon beans and greens with broth over polenta, top with Parm, and serve.
What worked: This was quite satisfying on a cold day. I added about 1/4 lb very fatty ham, diced, which I also used to replace the olive oil when I sauteed the chard. I used an heirloom local "pebble bean", which worked nicely.
What didn't: I should have started the polenta much earlier; you're supposed to have set polenta with beans and broth, not watery polenta mixed in to the soup. Also, I didn't see that I was supposed to hold back the chard leaves - so I didn't, and they were thoroughly wilted (but still good).
Will I make it again? It'll be a winter dish, yes.
