soup du jour

Yesterday I decided it was time to make a bean and veggie soup. There's this Tuscan style soup that I buy from the corner store and I was determined to make something approximating it that didn't cost big bucks and wasn't flown in from Italy (what a waste!).

So, here was my attempt.

olive oil
2 medium onions
4 stalks celery
3 large carrots
6 cloves garlic
tablespoon of smoked paprika
teaspoon or so of freshly ground pepper
1 15 oz can of fire roasted tomatoes
1 15 oz can of no salt added diced tomatoes
2 15 oz cans of white beans
one head of cauliflower
one large bunch of red chard
1 cup of heavy red wine
8 cups of veggie stock
salt to taste

dice the onions, celery and carrots.
saute the onions in the oil till they just begin to brown then add the celery and the carrot.
stir until the carrot begins to soften, then add the minced garlic cloves, ground black pepper, and the smoked paprika.
cook on high heat for a minute or so, then add a small amount of stock to deglaze the bottom of the pot.

Take the cauliflower and cut it up into little pieces, add it and everything else but the chard, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.

Prep the chard while everything else is cooking (this should take 5-10 minutes): clean well, cut out the heavy veins, and chop the chard into very small manageable on the spoon pieces.

Put the chard in last, cook everything for approximately 20-30 more minutes, until all the veggies are tender. Do not cook till a soggy mess!

The soup tastes better after it sits for a while!