High on the list of dishes I’d like to be able to make without a second thought, a special trip to a special store and that I hope to still be cooking when we spend our days in his-and-hers creaking rocking chairs, lamenting that Jacob never calls us anymore, is a hearty white bean stew.
And never has my need to get a recipe like this down been more urgent, given the following confluence of events: 1. A kid who is getting more and more into rejecting food, but shows a keen interest in beans and anything cooked in a tomato-y sauce. 2. A mama who is near the end of her tether trying to fit an impossible amount of ingredients in her 2 (yes, two) kitchen cabinets and revels in a recipe that will use up multiple cans of beans, a box of tomatoes and a carton of broth and 3. A website audience that will likely hightail it out of here if I present you with one more recipe in a row that hinges on cream and booze, butter and cheese, butter and sprinkles or butter and wine. It’s January, after all, and we have resolutions to attend to! Resolutions that probably do not include butter… That’s for February, after all.
I know that unless you are a tomato and white bean junkie, as I am, the prospect of a bowl of sloshy stew built on their foundation doesn’t sound very appealing. But what transforms it, I’d argue, is the presentation. I like to place a thick slice of well-toasted, garlic-rubbed bread underneath, ladle the stew over it and finish it with a softly poached egg. A few gratings of parmesan or romano might also be welcome on top, but I don’t think it needs either to be tasty. Mostly, this is a cozy meal, the perfect antidote to a month of excess without feeling excessively earnest. It’s still 36 degrees outside, afterall, last week’s blizzard remains in filthy gray islands of snow (albeit a little prettier in backyards) and there are more than three months until spring. Hearty is key.
[Thank you to Barrett Washburne for styling the refreshed photos!]
One year ago: Southwestern Pulled Brisket
Two years ago: Potato and Artichoke Tortilla
Three years ago: Viennese Cucumber Salad
Four years ago: Really Simple Homemade Pizza
Chard and White Bean Stew
Adapted a bit generously from Dan Barber
My notes: I started with a recipe from Dan Barber for a kale and white bean stew but used 2/3 of the greens suggested, because I really want this to be a white bean, not greens, stew. Then, I swapped some of the vegetable broth for pureed tomatoes, because that’s what I think a bean stew needs. I dialed back the broth a bit, because I don’t like soupy stews… Oh, and I added some weights and then (typical!) forgot I was weighing ingredients so only some are listed. Sorry about that. Finally, I cooked the wine down more than suggested because I wanted to make sure I wasn’t accidentally going to booze up the kid so that he might accidentally get a good night’s sleep. Because that would be terrible, you know?
1 pound Swiss chard (can also swap kale, spinach or another green), ribs and stems removed and cleaned
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup (5 1/4 ounces) chopped carrots
1 cup (5 ounces) chopped celery
1 cup (4 1/4 ounces) chopped shallots, about 4 medium
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup dry white wine
2 15-ounce cans (or about 3 3/4 cups) white beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups (or more to taste) vegetable broth
1 cup pureed tomatoes (from a can/carton/your jarred summer supply)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
Toasted bread slices, poached eggs (tutorial), chopped herbs such as tarragon, parsley or chives or grated Parmesan or Romano to serve (optional)
Bring medium pot of salted water to boil. Cook chard (or any heavier green; no need to precook baby spinach) for one minute, then drain and squeeze out as much extra water as possible. Coarsely chop chard. [Deb note: These days I just thinly slice and add the uncooked greens directly to the stew, letting them wilt and cook in it. It can take 5 to 10 minutes, instead of just 5.]
Wipe out medium pot to dry it, and heat olive oil over medium. Add carrots, celery, shallots and garlic and saute for 15 minutes. Barber warns not to brown them but I didn’t mind a light golden color on them. Add wine (scraping up any bits that have stuck to the pot) and cook it until it reduced by three-fourths. Add beans, broth, tomatoes, a few pinches of salt, freshly ground black pepper, thyme and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes. Add chard and cook for 5 minutes more. Remove thyme and bay leaf. Add more broth if you’d like a thinner stew and adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Serve as is drizzled with sherry vinegar. Or you can ladle the stew over thick piece of toasted country bread or baguette that has been rubbed lightly with half a clove of garlic, top that with a poached egg and a few drops of sherry vinegar and/or some grated cheese.
I adore white bean stew but have never tried chard. Oh, I may have had it in restaurants, but I’ve never cooked it in my own humble kitchen. Kale was my big 2010 discovery. Perhaps 2011 will be the year of chard for me!
I love your blog because you provide unique ideas so consistently.
I love bean soups and stew, especially white beans. They remind me of a delicious stew my grandma made that I just haven’t been able to master!
I like the idea of topping a stew with a poached egg. I’ve never done that before!
THis stew looks beautiful and perfect for the chilly weather we’ve been having.
this makes me lonesome for my kitchen garden..fresh chard! I may have to seek some out at the store in order to make this one, though! I am, quite decidedly, a “tomato and white bean junkie” also!
love,
cathy b. @ brightbakes
This sounds right up my alley! I also LOVE using up boxes and cans of things in my cabinets, it means I can stock up on more food:-)
Oh wow. This is going on my short list. The highs for this weekend are in the low 20’s, so this will be the perfect dish to warm up with! YUM!
This looks hearty and delicious!
That looks divine. And if the rest of the family doesn’t like it, the more for me!
this looks perfect for a snowy day!
i have been so scared of chard for so long…i think i need to suck it up and make this ASAP! how could something so beautiful be bad? :)
Deb, you sure know your beans! I repeatedly made your Hot and Smoky Baked Beans this past summer for gatherings and barbecues, always receiving rave reviews. I will confidently dive into this recipe knowing it won’t disappoint. I also love your ‘less than healthy’ recipes too though, so don’t abandon the butter, and I don’t mean butter beans!
YUM! This look delicious and perfect for winter. I will be making this soon!
Am I the only one who got excited when I read that there are “three months until spring” (never mind that I ignored the “more than” that preceded that statement). Regardless, I think that this stew is going to help get me through the cold days.
I was just wondering what to make with the three pounds of greens that I’d bought with the determination to do some serious post-holiday damage control! This looks soul-soothing and delicious, and I happily have all the ingredients at home already. I’m already looking forward to dinner tonight, so thanks for the great idea!
Interesting that you like chard and not kale – I saw the recipe and went “ewww, chard – I’ll sub kale!” Stew looks wonderful! It will be perfect after returning from a trip to see the inlaws. :)
This look really delicious, We have a few cans of beans that we need to use up too….
I’m obsessed with putting a fried or poached egg on top of things. The runny yolk looks awesome on top of this!
Deb, did you post the suggested number of servings for this recipe? I’d love to try it, I’m thinking it serves about 4, your thoughts? January is definitely the month for healthy.
Susan — It can serve 4 to 6. It really depends on size. Portions like you see above, at least 6.
I love to use red chard because the bright stems make me happy. I generally chop them up and saute them with the onions/celery, etc. in various dishes. Is there a reason not to do that? I’ve always wondered. I generally just hate to see them go to waste.
I always use the stems, Anna, just like you described. They fit right in, and I prefer them to celery although they look very much alike:-)
I was wondering what to do with my white beans can and here comes a wonderful dish! With runny yolk! Thanks a ton!
Vegetables! legumes! This recipe just shouts “fresh start”. Not that I don’t love cookies, but this stew will be a welcome addition to my sugar-overloaded body :)
I’m looking forward to recieving my box ‘o organics today that supposedly have Chard in them! Yum! Can’t wait to try this out.
I like white beans and chard together and garlic and a few other flavors. I have never had them with tomatoes (maybe soup) but it looks like a tasty healthy combination.
I saw the poached egg on top…. SOLD! This looks absolutely divine! I cannot wait to make it!
Is there much of a difference between green chard and rainbow chard, as far as taste/texture/cooking? I’ve bought and cooked them both, but so rarely, and so far apart, that I’m not sure I’d have noticed if there was. Thanks.
Rachel — They’ve always cooked up the same for me. I love rainbow chard because it is gorgeous, but don’t cook with it as often because the colors get all muddied up and I’m probably more into aesthetics than I should be.
Hi Deb!- do you recommend rinsing the beans off or just tossing them in from the can?
“…but I don’t think it needs to be tasty.”
Should this be, “I don’t think it needs it to be tasty”?
kathy — Yes, thanks.
Melissa — I rinse them.
Haylee — Would love to hear your crockpot results. I wanted to adapt this for fresh beans in there, but ran out of time.
I made almost the same bean soup for lunch, minus the chard, because I didn’t have any in the house.
Will be adding beautiful Swiss chard next time.
Happy new year!
Stacey
Okay, the egg topping off the presentation really did it. Brilliant. I also like the apple idea above. I still have bagsful in the freezer from an autumn score of Northern Spies.
Looks fabulous! And a poached egg on top? HEAVEN!
I think you’re right about the presentation; it looks amazingly hearty! Seems like this might be just the recipe to help me get over my own kale bias….White beans often make any dish better!
Looks great, hearty and warm for a cold winter day. I happen to have a bunch of canned beans on hand, and a bag of frozen collard greens that I forgot (read: was too tired) to cook on New Year’s Day! Tomato? check. Eggs? check. Yay! This is coming soon to a kitchen near me!
Tonight’s dinner. Just what I was looking for. Thank you!
Beans and tomatoe-y sauce. What an adventurous kid. We were all about apple sauce and veggie burgers at that age.
I love the poached egg idea,and I’m thinking leftovers mixed with pasta or rice would be a good packed lunch, too.
I adore chard & kale as well as white bean stews. I am pretty excited to add a poached egg & some bread. YUM!
Thanks for the inspiration and the recipe.
Don’t worry, your butter and cream would never scare me away… but this stew looks delicious! I definitely need to clean the beans out of my cabinets, too. How do so many magically appear there?
I LOVE MAKING TOMATO AND BEAN SOUP/STEW/dare I say STOUP? Of course not, don’t want to offend little Jacob’s ears! But I will try this very, very soon; I have the Goya 16-bean soup mix to play with!
I make stews likes this often, but it never occurred to me to serve them on top of toasty bread or with an egg on top. Brilliant!
I’m always looking for a stew to try, especially this time of year (never mind that I live in California). I too prefer chard. Thanks!
I hear ya on the kiddo eating less and less variety. I have a 15 month old, who is turning into a horrible eater. I had all these dreams of him loving everything mommy & daddy made, since hubby and I are the complete opposite of picky eaters! It was looking good for a little while, but not anymore!!!
Dear Deb
The first paragraph was exactly what i feel my Mannu (11 month old angel) will do. Great to know im not alone who feels this already so much in advance, coz my friends call me crazy over this thought!!
Pooja
So hearty and tempting – this recipe looks delicious.
I partiurlarly love the combo of thyme, sherry and white wine.
Thanks so much for the wonderful post!
Lunch for next week! That was easy. I love soups and stews and always need new ways to incorporate beans into my meals. Plus, LOVE the idea of a poached egg on top. Going to try it out in the crockpot without pre-cooking the Chard….have done it before with a different white bean & kale stew, so am pretty sure it will turn it out well.
Looks delicious. Put an egg on anything and I am likely to love it, but I also love beans and chard so I am set.
Thanks for the yummy recipe.
I can’t wait to try this .. hubby loves spinach so will probably go that route. The beans are, of course, a winner with me :)
Thanks for this recipe – I was looking for something to cook for dinner tonight and this is perfect! I have some blooming spinach I need to use up…
Wow, that is crazy perfect timing. I was thinking of making something like this, made Rancho Gordo white beans last night and bought a few bunches of chard, but had yet to look for a recipe to use tonight. Love the poached egg suggestion.
This is great timing – I just made a pot of black-eyed peas for New Years, but have some leftover that I could use substitute for the white beans in this recipe. Thanks for a meat-free meal to help with my New Year’s resolution to eat less meat (butter is still OK in my book!). Love the idea of serving over garlic-rubbed bread, too!
If cabinet space is at a premium, why are you buying canned beans? I buy dry ones, cook up a bunch at once and then freeze them for quick use. They thaw quite quickly especially if you pull as much air out of the bag as possible and ‘flatten’ the bag to a single layer of beans until frozen. (Also useful to put them in pre-measured amounts in smaller bags.) Cheaper too!
I am with Kristin on the chard – although I may give it a try in this recipe just for variety and to see if it will alter my opinion of it. (lovely kale – how can you not love tender steamed kale? – I fixed Potato-Kale Soup only last night, mmmmmm)
Can’t wait to churn out some hearty stew for the fam! It’s bitter-cold here in Minnesota, so we’re in the market for soup recipes; thanks!
Lovin’ this one. Chard is a favorite. Great combo; happy taste buds!
I made almost this exact same soup last week. It was sooooo good. I used dried beans (do not like canned items) that I soaked for 4 hours or so and cooked for 45-55 minutes separately before I started adding in the vegetables. Skipped the wine and tomatoes since I did not have them. I used two bunches of kale since my husband and I love kale. (I hate rainbow or red chard, and normal green chard is just okay in my book. But I love spinach. Silly me!)
I whirled it in the end with my immersion blender since I like the texture more than whole beans. Sopped up the soup with some fresh Wheat Beer Bread from Farm Girl Fare. I loved this soup!
Very similar to a recipe we cooked up at our house last night for dinner. Spinach, one can of white beans, one can of pinto beans (since that’s what we had on hand), and onion instead of shallot.
Results freeze beautifully, so we always eat half and put the other half away for another night. We also toss an old parmesan cheese rind into the soup as it’s simmering away for some depth of flavor.
To appease my very picky kid, we also boiled up some small pasta and added them to her bowl so it wasn’t a meal of just beans and vegetables. The things we do. And yes, she’d eat most anything when very young, then got VERY picky at around age 2 and we’ve been trying to broaden her palate ever since.
This looks divine – I cannot wait to try it!
Forgot to say that I used dried thyme and oregano and then added some red pepper flakes and cumin too. But I can see if you have little ones that the red pepper flakes and cumin might not work, but as an adult I love lots of both.
And chard is so good for you!!! (despite the word’s unfortunate habit of rhyming with lard)
This soup looks fantastic! I want to try your version, but with more chard. I don’t know what my obsession is with leafy green soups, but I find them fantastic.
Thanks for sharing this recipe!!
Hi Deb, I’m never sure in recipes like this if the 1# of greens means 1# with OR without the stems/ribs…Would you mind clarifying? Also, I have a teenage daughter who is vegetarian so I’m thrilled whenever I see recipes like this one on your site…thanks a bunch.
SalGal — 1 pound bundle, so pre-trimming. But the original recipe called for 1 1/2 pounds, so there’s no harm if you have extra in there. For me, I wanted the beans, not greens, to be the main event.
Kat — Don’t worry, there are dried beans in there too. But time is even more at a premium these days, and I don’t always have the hours to set aside to cook them.
Jennifer B — My kid won’t eat pasta. Or cheese. We think he’s broken. But he likes beans, pickles and celery. Basically, he’s going to be a little weirdo, just like his mama.
Ooooo, this looks wonderful! Great recipe for these dark days and even more fun when we can use ingredients from the garden. I’m not a huge bean fan but given that it’s been at least a decade since I really gave them a go, this seems a good opportunity!
I just made a big pot of white bean soup, too! I de-healthified it a bit by adding sausage, though. The addition of a poached egg on top is a great idea; I will definitely try that out next time.
Also, thanks for the Jacob-video. I am feeling rather grumpy on my first post-holiday day back at work but that little guy and his little sled have cheered me up!
that looks so delicious and healthy i must try it! thanks :)
MmMmmm! Makes me want to curl up on the couch with a bowl of bean stew and a book. I’m thinking of replaced shallots with onions, just because that’s what I’ve got around and it’s cheaper. And for some odd reason the word “chard” gives me the heeby jeebies, so I may go ahead and use collards. How do you feel about adding hunk of smoked ham to the pot?
Beans and greens – my favorite combination. I’m a simple girl, I suppose :) Also a kale-addict (but don’t hold that against me!) so might use that for the soup. Soft-cooked egg on top. Definitely.
Thank you for sharing the adorable video of Jacob’s backyard adventure!
While I don’t think the egg is really needed, it certainly elevates the dish. Looks amazing!
Do you have to pre-cook the chard (Or kale in my case). Couldn’t you just throw it in with everything else and cook it along with it. I should think it would be even tastier. I would love to know that because if that is the case then it is a one pot meal I will just have to make it. Thx.
I have been living off bean stews lately. Basically, ever since I found Melissa Clark’s recipe for white bean and sausage stew (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/03/dining/03apperex.html) and discovered I didn’t have to soak dried beans. I just keep changing the sausage/bean combos and adding vegetables toward the end, especially squash. Something about squash and beans together is magical.
This sounds so similar to a white bean cassoulet I had at our anniversary dinner last year. It was to die for! Can’t wait to try this recipe out.
Why do you cook the chard first, if only to throw it back in? I mean, I’m happy to do it, just wondering why. Can’t wait to make this, thanks!
Spaniards make a soup similar to this but use collard greens instead….and throwing some ham hocks in there never hurts!
Oh goodie, back to stews and savory dishes. After all the sugar plum treats of the season, I want some salty or savory flavors! My new thing, this past year anyway, is to ladle soups and stews over fresh spinach to wilt it then stir it in. It doesn’t get so stringy and remains fresh tasting every time you reheat the stew. I’ve not used greens before, so this looks like a good opportunity to get into that. The good thing about the added protein using the egg topping is the choice it gives to those who include it in their diet or love soft eggs and those who don’t. Nice touch!
,
On another note, I love the look on a babys face when they are doing something for the first time. They brace themselves and the look is so concentrated, and thoughtful. You can see them weighing the decision, good or bad; the outcome a smile or quivery bottem lip tears as they look at you (and hold you accountable)!
You had me at poached egg. While I have slightly (only slightly!) more kitchen space, I definitely understand the appeal of a recipe that cleans out the cabinets. I don’t have a child, but we’re veggie-leery and have a fridge full of chard because of our CSA box (we subscribed with the good intention of battling the veggie-phobia… it kind of works). This sounds like something that just might win in my house!
What’s the approximate yield for this recipe, please? I’m planning on making it tonight. Thanks!
If I were one to make resolutions, one would definitely be to cook with beans more often. This soup is going on the dinner list for this month for sure.
I love it. I make one using turkey sausage and red wine, but I love that this one really is about the beans! Thanks for sharing.
This looks delicious! Thanks for all the recipes-I’ve made so many of them with fantastic results.
This reminds me of an amazing dish I made recently out of Lidia’s Italy–braised chard and cannellini beans, which was maybe more of a side dish than a stew. You might like it if you are ever looking for a new white bean/chard dish (which, after this maybe you won’t be). Thanks again!
The best advice I ever received in regards to my children’s eating habits were to have them take a “No Thank You Bite” on everything on their plate. A lot of times they still would not eat more of it, but at least they tried it, and eventually they became less picky. I’m sure you know that the bigger deal you make of it, the more your child digs in his heels! I also enjoyed reading a book, “Let Them Eat Cake” – I forget who the author is. Life has it’s challenges!
Is it any good the next day as leftovers?
I love when your recipes coincide with ingredients I’m trying to use up.
Oh thank you! I love how many vegetarian recipes you post!
I know you added them from another recipe, but if I wanted to remove the tomatoes (horrific, I know) would I sub in a cup more of stock?
I often do white beans & greens over pasta- leftovers of this poured over noodles could be fantastic!
Jess — Just sub in stock.
Baby eating — I do joke around about it here, but I didn’t want to give off the impression that I’m concerned about my kid’s eating habits. I’m not. But things he shows an interest in — beans! meat sauces! roasted vegetables! — get zoomed ahead on the cooking agenda. The goal, after all, is for us all to eat the same things for dinner.
Re: Comment #64: That is so awesome that your son loves pickles! One of our best friends son, who is 2 now, loves pickles, too, and we were there when the revelation was revealed! It all started with a pickled pearl onion, of all things, that was part of a charcuterie board that I had assembled. From there we presented him with every type we had on hand. Whenever he would try a new type of pickle, he would take it, turn away from us, and close his eyes in contemplation before turning back to us with his verdict, more often than not an enthusiastic ‘more please!’ I am sure hoping that our daughter becomes an adventurous eater, but currently she won’t eat anything but breast milk ferapeckapickledpeppers!
A delicious AND healthy recipe YAY!!!
Gorgeous photos too, I’m lovin’ it!
Merry New Year!
Lisa
PS Lovin’ that cute little stove too, lol!
Looks delicious, hearty and very healthy! Definitely one I’ll be trying out soon to fight off the January blues. Thanks!
oh I just went to check your recipe collection for one using swiss chard because I happened to buy some in the store today – and BAM! there’s one right on top of your blog. What a nice coincidence :) Thank you!
I share the white bean/tomato love. This looks scrumptious…just the right thing to warm the soul in frosty January, while still being kind to my thighs. Perfect serving suggestion!
This recipe sounds awesome. I buy frozen kale and dump it in everything, so personally I’d go with that here instead of the chard. (unless I can find it frozen…. hmm) I will be making this soon! Great idea with the egg on top.
If I were to make this I would throw in the stems odbthe chard along with the veggies. That’s the best part! Especially if you get the variety that has pink, red, orange and purple stems!
My family has gone gluten-free in the new year…am I not reading carefully, or does this recipe fit the bill without modification?? Would love input from anyone who’s been there/done that with cutting gluten. I’m still a newbie and know that it likes to hide out in unsuspecting places (does the white wine contain gluten, maybe??)
The soup looks great…I love the egg on top. Oh, yum!!
New Year’s resolution – stick to Meatless Mondays for my bunch. That paired with the 7 (!) cans of white beans I found in Sunday’s pantry cleanout (along with 8 black, 6 kidney and 4 navy – I’ve inadvertently planned for bean-based snow survival) means we’ll be having this on Monday!
The poached egg just tops it off so nicely…!
If you’re not feeding a child, I’d add some Cajun seasoning to this too. I like a bit of a bite in my bean stew.
Deb, just want to let you know how much you and your tiny kitchen have inspired me. I have a teeny 1920’s kitchen complete with yellow subway tiled walls AND ceiling, an under the counter GE fridge, an apt size stove and very limited cabinet space. I have always been intimidated by the (perceived) inadequacy of my space, but reading your blog and drooling over your creations has shown me that all you really need to cook is a great recipe (thank you!), the right ingredients in the right amounts, and a willingness to try.
Thanks.
Absolutely delicious. And my 16 month old though so too. :)
This is a great idea. We have been eating a lot of beans lately, our last dish being a pot of black bean soup. I like the addition you made of a poached egg — makes a complete meal out of almost anything.
Kathleen
Thank you! I’m always so intimidated by greens and so it’s nice to see a tasty looking recipe using them. I’ve decided to use more of them this year, so you’ve given me tools to actually act on my resolution!!
Butter rules.
We’re making this right now! Smells delicious on the stove. I’m foregoing the egg though, since I’m against runny yolks in theory. (Although I must admit, I’m not sure I’ve ever tried one)
Please do not discard the stems! Either put them in with the mirepoix, or chop them and cook them in some butter with salt for about 15 minutes. They are sooooo much better than the leaves. They are sweet! Trust me on this one– I learned it from Alice Waters who devotes an entire dish to the stems.
Thanks for packing this recipe full of non-animal protein and deliciousness. Well, yes, the poached egg is technically animal protein, but very light on the carbon footprint. Seems perfect in every way:)
How do you manage to keep your stove this clean??? :)
Hey Deb, is there anything I could replace the tomato with? I’m oh so allergic to them. :(
Do you think a mix of white wine and stock might work? Would I adjust the seasonings any?
Saw it this morning and had to have it for dinner. Excellent. Thank you.
You are definitely my kind of girl.
Cannot wait to eat this, poached egg and all.
xoxo
Woman, you and your poached eggs. :)
Jacob is just precious! I want one!
as to resolutions mine is simply to cook at home much, much more. Perfectly ok to eat sweets and fried things, as long as I make them myself.
I’ve never been a fan of stews, but this looks awesome!!
I love absolutely anything with an egg on top. But even without the egg, this looks absolutely delicious! And totally comforting and hearty :)
I have been a long time reader and admirer of your blog. Thank you for continuing to provide wonderful photos and writing.
I made this tonight for 5 adults and 7 children..I didn’t really measure but basically doubled the recipe. It was a HUGE hit. I even poached 15 eggs using the recommendation of placing them on a towel until ready to use. I love your blog. Thank you!
Sound delicious – very similar to one I make which has the additions of fennel and chorizo sausage – try that for a great meal-in-a-pot :-)
I like that you topped the stew with a poached egg. I’ve never seen that done before. And a bean stew sounds perfect for January.
Oh man. This is just what we needed. It popped up in my blog feed this morning and I thought, “Perfect! Light! Healthy! Warm!” And last weekend, both my 2-yr-old & 5-yr-old declared their newfound love for poached eggs. So I made it for dinner and everyone loved it & we declared it “a keeper.” Thank you!
I love this. It’s exactly what I want to eat this month. And you’re unfailingly funny.
what a warm, delicious looking stew!
perfect for the chilly weather :)
My body is begging for kale and carrots and beans and all things good now that the holidays are over. Nice choice of recipe!
deb – this looks amazing and will be dinner tomorrow night – THANKS!
along these lines – have you ever seen this recipe –
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/22/health/nutrition/22recipehealth.html?_r=1&ref=shellbeans
i stumbled upon it this past fall when i had no idea what to do with fresh shelling beans from my CSA box. this is one of the most amazing things i have ever made that did not originate from either you or ina garten. you will love this – as will jacob! my two year old loved loved loved it (but i often question her palate as she eats hummus by the SPOONFUL. literally – one huge spoonful after another. i want to gag just thinking about it.)
i haven’t tried to make it with either dried or canned beans, though, so may have to wait until summer to make it again! anyway – take a look!
thanks again for tomorrow’s dinner!
Ciao Deb! and happy new year. You are, again, cooking italian food! This is a typical country stew from Tuscany/Umbria… What I do, usually, is cook the dry beans in the pressure cooker, then do the bean soup, then at the very last moment add the shderred greens, put out the fire and cover the pot. They cook with the steam only (but they have to be tender…) otherwise I add them at the end of the soup. It saves one pot and one step.
Other usual combinations: lentils and spinach, and (this one si delicious) fava beans (maybe you call them broad beans?) and chicory.
Loooove all of this!
This looks perfect. I love swiss chard!
What brand of stock do you use?
Marci — I don’t have a go-to but I used Pacific this time.
KateZ — I replaced the original stock suggested with tomatoes, no reason you cannot reverse this.
Dory — Someone always says this! It is FILTHY, trust me. I think the camera doesn’t pick it up well, what with the contrast and poor light over there.
Chard stems — There’s no reason to discard them, I just didn’t want the chunks in this stew which I wanted to be first and foremost a white bean stew with only the greens as contrast. No reason they cannot be sauteed up a bit, or simply boiled for a few minutes longer at the beginning.
Fried eggs like that make me go crazy. They are so delicious.
This is just what I need for January! Would be great for my classes also. Most of them have never had swiss chard or fact of the matter many types of greens. I think they would enjoy this stew. I love the photos of the chard and carrots!
Happy New Year, Deb! This sounds delicious and is much like Cooks Illustrated’s Hearty Tuscan Bean Stew, which I have done in my slow cooker. Their version uses escarole, but I’ve also tossed in the tail end of various salad greens left in the fridge, too. Bean stews are one of the few healthy comfort foods I sometimes lust for. The beans get an overnight soak, the rest gets done in a slow oven or your slow cooker. It gave me the reason I was looking for to buy that dutch oven I was drooling over.
So gorgeous (and healthy, too)! And I just love the poached egg on top. I’ve got chickens and find myself adding poached eggs to pretty much everything these days.
THis looks so good! I was inspired to try the poached egg for breakfast and it worked! My first new skill of 2011!
This recipe looks so yummy! Reminds me of my mother’s cooking, those are really great memories and Jacob will cherish them more than he’ll admit to… now ;) I especially heart when my mom cooked her soup/stews/stoups to feed a small arm, our family of 8. It’s amazing to see how resourceful we become on a budget or in a effort to clean out the pantry! Cheers and hope you got a great nights sleep.
Chard? Check. White Beans? Check. Tomato? Check. Yup, this has everything I love. Sounds so delicious.
I love this stew–I love everything about it, especially the egg. [singing] Heaven! *:)*
This stew looks so hearty and delicious… perfect for the cold weather. Thanks for sharing!
So I could make this tonight, without even going to the store, however, it’s collards sitting in my fridge, instead of chard or kale or spinach. Do you think it could be done with collards?
Looks wonderful! I discovered chard this year, I made Swiss Chard and Ricotta Crostata a number of times to rave reviews. After 50 years of cooking, I had never tried chard. Trust me, with a mother like you, Jacob will always call home.
Hi Deb! – I made this last night for hubby and we loved it! :) I put a little bit of red pepper flakes in it to spice it up and used chicken broth because that is what i had….it was fabulous! Poached egg was a great idea as well, this one is definitely going in my recipe folder!
I forgot to mention that i only had collard greens as well and it was just as tasty!
Soup has always been a staple with my family. Even my dog enjoys soup (particularly chicken) and a side of rice. I bet she’s 80% cantonese. hahaa
It seems like most little kids go through a “weird” eating phase. One of my cousins only wanted raw onions and butter!
That looks amazing and I’m pretty sure I’m going to have to make it soon.
At least your son will still eat healthy things. When my brother was young he went through a stage for a few years during which he would eat three things: peanut butter and jelly on white bread no crust, pizza, & hotdogs. And as an adult, he’s a health freak athlete. Go figure.
This looks delicious! Love your presentation, too. I’m not crazy about cooked spinach but I discovered chard a few years ago and really like it. One of my favorite chefs here in Georgia (a transplant from Italy with a B&B and restaurant down here – The Dublin Farm) created a recipe for a “Christmas Lasagnae” that has three layers – a bechamel layer, a tomato and meat layer, and a swiss chard layer. I took a class with her for my birthday last year and she shared her recipe. I was looking for another recipe to cook chard for my family and I think this will be it! My 14 month old will eat almost anything. Isn’t it satisfying to have the whole family enjoying the same meal?
Debs – I am moved to comment because this is a subject I really know about! Please please try one of these (below) and become far more excited about this combination!!
Some great bean-and-chard combinations:
Can’t remember which book, but – River Cafe’s chickpeas and chard (with white wine and pre-made tomato sauce)
Vegetarian for Everyone – Deborah Madison’s chickpea and chard stew (with smoked paprika, and with a dollop of garlic/sunblushed tomato mayo on top),
which both sounds like the same thing, but aren’t, and become surprisingly so much more than the sum of their ingredients!! ooh, want to make both of these right now… but will then succumb to obsession and have to eat them for days and days on end. Oh well here I go…
I always have to put some tomatoes in stews; they add some body and interest that I miss if they’re not there. Bring on more spinach/greens recipes!
That’s it… I’m making this for dinner tonight! I looove the idea of it served on top of a piece of crusty bread with a nice runny poached egg. Oh – and I like the idea of the Chard lasagne mentioned by Jessica. Filing that away in my brain too. I’m thinking some white beans would go well in that dish too. Thanks for the inspiration!
Looks good! I will try this, especially the egg. I have been looking for new ideas for Swiss chard. Can’t wait to try it. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for the note about cooking down the wine for your little guy. My son is about the same age, and the fear of serving him anything cooked with wine or alcohol has plagued me at the back of my mind and prevented our enjoying great meals like this as a family. Do you have a specific guideline as to how long it takes to cook off a certain amount of alcohol?
Any ideas for how to make this work easily in a slow cooker (sans the bread/egg)? I find the need for preparing slow cooker meals to be exceptionally high this year (no time!)…
This is a definintel keeper for our 2011 Meatless Mondays…mmmmm, chard.
This looks amazing, and beans will be put to soak tonight!
To the person who asked about tomato replacement because of an allergy, I personally would try couple of roasted red peppers, pureed, and add some smoked paprika for a Spanish flair. Kind of like a romesco sauce, with white beans and greens instead of chickpeas and nuts! Hmmm . . .
Love me some greens, beans, and tomatoes! I’ll hafta add this to my must-make list!
samarahuel- This link http://www.ochef.com/165.htm shows the chart from the USDA about various cooking methods and cooking off alcohol. I hope it helps!
And Deb- this looks incredible. I think you have just chosen dinner for us tonight!
Oh my, this looks tasty! My hubby loves white beans but I always found the recipes kind of boring. Love chard and adding an egg on top would be perfect to give me my egg or butter fix I need daily. Your kid really eats this? WOW, hats off to you! I should have started more diversity earlier now that I have the pickest six year old on earth.
I seriously cannot wait for your cookbook. This looks amazing, I am making it tonight…
I made this last night and it was delicious! Looking forward to tonight’s leftovers.
while i’m sure this stew stands alone beautifully, you knocked it outta the park for me when you added the toasted garlic baguette underneath and the gorgeous poached egg on top. love!!!! i can’t wait to give this a try.
i do so very much love your recipes that require copious amounts of butter! this also looks delicious and slightly less bad for you, though. thanks for sharing! can’t wait to try it, especially since my farmshare is overflowing with chard!
-suzanne
now i know what i’m making for dinner tonight! i have half a head of cabbage in my fridge right now – not as fun as kale or chard, but i think it will do the trick.
Sounds delish. I would also think about adding some parmesan rind with the broth, etc. – thickens it up and adds depth of flavor.
Deb,
Thanks so much for this! Being a vegetarian can get dull in the winter, but this hearty stew will keep me going.
This stew looks delicious!! If you need ideas, chocolate is always appropriate. :)
Deb, whenever I see a recipe as simple and delicious as this, I jump up and down when I have the ingredients, I make the recipe, then I die and come back to life after biting into it all. A poached egg on top of anything is a must try. Bookmarked!
P.S. Happy New Year! :)
LOVE beans and tomatoes!! Can’t wait to try this, looks delish!
Hate to tell you, but my almost 13 year old is just coming around to different foods but used to eat everyting as a baby… hang in there :)
Don’t take this the wrong way, but I have been waiting and waiting for your little one to enter the picky toddler phase! Mine is 19 months old, and has some similar likes (beans, tomatoey sauces, cheese) and dislikes (almost everything else besides fruit). I’m hoping you’ll be doing lots more picky-toddler friendly dishes because your recipes are always my favorite!
Alcohol never ever all cooks out. ER for people like me. I bought lots of kale; Glory brand in a bag already prepped. Just like salad mix, it is ready to use. 1 1/2 inch size tender pieces that I’ve been sauting in olive oil with 2-3 cloves sliced garlic. Will make this and use kale, and add garlic! Meatless Monday AND Wednesday.
I cook dry beans overnight in the Crock Pot; no soaking needed. Wake to fresh cooked beans. This soup would be good for breakfast too.
Canned beans? Good in a pinch, but they have very little nutritional value. If you have a slow cooker, just use that, and watch to ensure the beans reach the consistency you like (some people like them whole, while others don’t mind if they break open, adding a great texture to the stew)
Yum! Beans and swiss chard – two things that we should be eating more of. I just made a batch of my hearty 9 bean soup – and I may try adding some swiss chard to make it healthier…..
http://girlfriendlifeline.blogspot.com/2011/01/go-to-lunches-hearty-nine-bean-soup.html
I made this last night and took it for lunch today — it’s fantastic! No tweaking needed. I added grated parmesan on top and it was perfect, but I can imagine using feta as well.
I love white bean stew, I think the chard is a great addition. And the poached egg sounds yummy too! I find you very inspiring Deb, thank you!!!
Stewed beans over toast with a poached egg: sounds like a perfect winter brunch menu. Thank you. Gorgeous.
just saw this post over at canvass, too! looks like they love you as much as I do. keep it cooking mama!
I have to say this is one of those website you check out just to make sure that life is still worth the living. :) And not that I don’t love cooking already, but you just remind me why I love it…
I love the presentation of this stew, what a great Idea to serve it over bread, and the egg? Genius. Runny egg yolks do nothing be positive things as far as I am concerned!
Oh my, this looks delightful! I’m especially a fan of the toasted bread/poached egg addition. I had a post-run lunch of eggs poached in tomato sauce over sauteed spinach and toasted ciabatta one day, as per a previous post of yours and was in heaven. I believe there are few things that a poached egg does not improve – and I believe are probably of like minds!
Just discovered your blog via a search for a Graham cracker recipe. You read my mind, this bean stew has been on my mind but I didn’t have a recipe just an idea. Thank you!
Yum, perfect for the winter comfort zone. We’re living on beans and veggies and tomatoes and stewed stuff while we detox from over indulgence over the month of December. Thanks Deb. Keep’em coming.
I just happen to have all of the ingredients – well, spinach for the swiss chard. Though you really make me want to try swiss chard! Might just have to hit up the market!
Deb,
I love beans too and am glad to see this recipe, especially since it’s that time of the year when people make promises to hit the gym or eat more greens…or the rare combination that chooses both!
Happy new year!
This sounds wonderful, healthy and hearty at the same time, perfect!
Two kitchen cupboards, two?! And I thought I was short on space. Proves you don’t need it to be a great cook!
-Brenda
just made this – AMAZING. i actually paid homage to your summer succatosh and cooked the mirepoix in rendered bacon grease after my 6 year old requested a BLT for dinner (being the nice jewish girl that she is… no guilt here…). i also put a parmesan rind in with the herbs. best stew ever. thanks!
Love the looks of this one! Stews with lots of beans and greens are one of my current favorites so I will definitely be giving it a try! I had to laugh when you said you make your wonderful dishes in a tiny kitchen . . .I have actually created some gourmet dinners in a travel trailer kitchen! :) As a Realtor, it sometimes amazes me what people think they need to be a good cook . . .check out my blog post on vintage kitchens if you get a chance!
I made this tonight. So good and one of the cheapest meals I’ve made in a while. DO NOT skip the poached egg! So yummy. I also served it over garlic french bread and, per your suggestion, topped with parmesan cheese. Mmm.
Wow! I made this tonight and it was so lovely! Really hit the spot. I love the garlicky toast on the bottom and the thyme in the stew. I followed the poach tutorial and successfully poached an egg for the first time in my life!! So festive! Thanks for the great recipe – it’s a keeper…
Dear Deb,
Made this tonight & it was delish! Even my husband said it was tasty & he isn’t into vegieness as I am. The only thing I forgot was the poached egg but it was still very nice. Your recipes are easy to follow, & of those I’ve tried so far, reliable & yummy. The homemade poptarts were a hit, my husband said it is the pie crust I’ve been searching for. Your orange cranberry scones were so good, I ate them all myself (one at a time) just because I didn’t mention them to the kids & husband doesn’t make me a bad person does it? They freeze really well after baking, wrapped in plastic & foil, & taste nearly as fresh as the first baking.
Thanks for writing about your adventures, Happy New Year to all!!
Oh yeah, love that absolutely darling little boy of yours, keep on posting pics!
Made it….so yummy!!
I actually just used chard for the first time a few days ago an blogged about it. It’s such a delicious and healthy vegetable. I love that you add an egg to this. Eggs are just one of those ingredients that take any recipe and make it a billion times better (like mushrooms or cheese). Can’t wait to taste this.
Made this for dinner last night. Soooooooo yummy and comforting, such a cozy meal:)
When you mentioned ladling the stew over toasted bread and then topping with a softly poached egg…My heart melted. It was a cozy feeling of huddling over a bowl on an especially cold day. Very nice.
made this last night for dinner and the whole pot is GONE. that never happens! lovely recipe, thank you for sharing
I made this last night, and it was fantastic. Any kind of soup is my favorite meal of all time. I used great northern beans that were canned in pork fat because that’s what I had, so I didn’t rinse them and it worked, although the extra fat made it a bit thicker. I also used a combination of kale and chard because I had some kale, and it was great. Perfect recipe for cold weather and filling without being heavy. Thanks Deb!
Made this last night…awesomely good! Everyone loved it and appreciated how healthy it was. Didn’t pre-cook the chard, just put it in during the last 10 mins of cooking. Also subbed celery for parsnip…so obviously not the same dish anymore…Thank you! Thank you! Love your blog!
Gosh, that first image is so enticing. Absolutely gorgeous. I need a bowl.
This is my first comment but read your blog religiously. You have become my go to “cookbook.” I made this stew just last night and it was fantastic! Thanks Deb for keeping myself and my boyfriend from going hungry :)
I read your blog all the time and love it! I made this last night, but had to do the quickest version possible since I have 3 kids under 4. Used baby spinach and no sherry vinegar b/c didn’t have any and it was a huge hit! My kids love beans and anything soup-y which allows me to get some other good stuff in them like tomatoes. Thanks!
Wow, that stew is beautiful! Definitely is on my list of things to make. And I covet your All-Clad! It’s beautiful too!
Chard is my go-to veg for 2011. Made a soup last weekend with it. Wonder if there is any use for ribs? Soup stock?
After living in the south my entire life I finally tried turnip greens in 2010 and didn’t like them. I like spinach though and would really like to find another green that I like. Based on your recommendation I am going to find chard and try this stew because it looks delicious!
Made the stew tonight. Thanks. This was perfect for a cold January night. I added about 1/2 lb Italian sausage. Next time I’m not sure I would bother with the poached egg. It looked great, but didn’t add much to the overall dish.
I am eating this right this very second and it is delicious! I used spinach instead of chard – when I mentioned chard to my SO, he stared at me like I had just told him I was going to cook a puppy with the stew and since I didn’t want to have to eat an entire pot of soup by myself, I figured I should make it palatable for him, too. I skipped the bay leaf, because I didn’t have any in my pantry. It smelled great when it was cooking and tasted delicious, I can’t wait to eat it again tomorrow for lunch.
Oh, and I put a poached egg on top and toast underneath, like you suggested – seriously, best winter dinner ever.
absolutely lovely!
best thing i’ve eaten in a long time. THANK YOU. also, the poaching tutorial is very helpful:)
I love this recipe.I am a chard hater/kale lover, so I made with kale. The poached
egg is the kicker, I agree.
This sounds so yummy. I bought a bunch of chard at the farmers market this week and am excited to try out this recipe. Everything tastes good with a poached egg in my book.
I love how just topping a dish with an egg makes it a complete meal. EGGS = BEST FOOD EVER,
OMG that child is the sweetest thing ever and such a beautiful smile. Oh, and your recipe looks good too! :-)
This looks perfect for waiting out the storm this weekend!
I made this for dinner last night with a few tiny modifications, and it was fabulous! I used spinach for the greens as it meant no chopping and no pre-cooking so it would be easier, but I suspect it might be better with chard or kale. I also just used 1 whole (14 oz, by weight I guess) carton of diced/chopped tomatoes instead of puree since it wasn’t that much more than 1 c and added a bit of extra broth. I served it over garlic toast but left out the egg since (1) I didn’t want to dirty another pot and (2) I had planned on making your Shakshuka recipe as well this week. My husband was dubious about both the vinegar and toast underneath, but I told him he should trust the Smitten Kitchen, and of course I was right – the toast and vinegar made the dish!
Up here in Canada there are no “white” beans on the shelves of our grocery stores. Instead, we have white kidney beans, which I purchased and used. The stew was absoultey delicious and I halved it since its “just me”. So… “just me” will be making this all the time to provide a little warmth in the very cold Ottawa climate!
Just whipped up a white bean stew myself with roasted tomatoes that were then given a quick saute in white wine and finished off with browned sausages. Nothing pleases me more than a pared-down ingredient list (though I don’t abide by that rule very often). While I’m not a huge fan of chard, I love your idea of ladling it over a nice crusty piece of garlic bread – that’s how I’ll be dishing up my White Bean & Sausage Stew next time. Cheers and thanks for the idea!
I’m printing the recipe now! Will be soaking my bag of Great Northern beans tonight and making this tomorrow. Thanks for so many wonderful recipes – this one is right up my alley!
First time poster, long time reader…and I am making this tonight! Our oven has been on the fritz for weeks, and I’ve long run out of main dishes that are tasty and can be made on the stovetop.
I’ll add some shredded leftover duck, and probably eliminate the tomato (sorry, don’t think it goes with the duck). Maybe a drizzle of good olive oil on the top of each serving for good measure?
I am probably the opposite of most readers where I tend to shy away from desserts, cream sauces etc. so, of course, this caught my eye (and apparently everyone elses with over 200 comments). It’s lovely! and I like the idea of the poached egg on top.
Wow! My mouth an drooling. This looks like a great recipe. Great pics too by the way. What camera are you using? I’m going to jot this down on my list to try, especially for these cold wintery nights.. nothing beats a good stew.
Loved it, loved it, loved it. I used kale, one less can of beans (my boyfriend only bought one), normal veggies and white wine that was so old I think it was from summertime. Onions instead of shallots and chicken stock. Despite it being pretty much a different recipe altogether, the mix was amazing, and perfect for a cold night in Chicago. Thank you. I will say it once and again, you are my favorite food blogger, Deb.
I love white bean soups and stews, and this recipe makes the top of my list! I used kale (that’s what I had!), and tossed in some organic chicken italian sausage at the end. The pot is simmering on the stove, and it’s just starting drizzling outside…what a perfect meal for a yucky cold night!!
If I were to use dried beans for this, how much should I use?
Wow – how delicious! Even the husband approved! I have to admit I used kale by mistake and I still liked it. I don’t usually like kale! Thank you!
there you go with your poached eggs again, deb. and i have to say, i love you for it! i successfully poached an egg for the first time last week and first on my recipe list is your hash…next up i’ll try this! thanks=)
My son is similar in age to Jacob and he also likes beans and tomatoes. They will be eaten hands-down anytime (that, and bananas). He will eat other vegetables, but doesn’t want them pureed and then often has issues with the texture, which I’m sure will pass. In the meantime, we toss chopped spinach into a lot of our dishes and he seems to enjoy that a lot. Can’t wait to try this dish out and see what he thinks of the chard.
I just served this to my very appreciative family tonight. What an amazing dish. The flavors are outstanding. The poached egg while described as “random” by my 19 year old, was the perfect addition (thanks for the tutorial). Dearest husband who has always told me he doesn’t care for white beans had two servings! Success and a keeper. Many Thanks!
Made this yesterday in anticipation of our snow days and I used cabbage for the greens. I sliced the cabbage as thin/shredded as possible and it was delicious. I’m not sure I’ll have any left when/if the snow comes. Thanks Deb.
OK. I saw chard and white bean stew and I thought, “oh, yeah, that sounds good.” Reading a little farther down and saw the part about adding the garlic bread and poached egg. Now there is no question, I must make this NOW! Thank you.
This looks amazing! I’ve cooked a good number of your recipes and I’ve yet to find one that didn’t go over well! I love that, for the most part, they are always simple ingredients! Keep up the good work – Happy New Year!
I make a really similar stew and use it as a filling for a vegetable pie. I say pie, but it’s really just stew with some puff pastry wrapped around it. I usually use whatever I have on hand, so it becomes a sort of thick, rich minestrone. Sometimes I add a spoonful of sour cream or a bit of cheese into it for some creaminess. It’s delicious, but I can’t wait to try this version! I wonder if I can start with some dried white beans and maybe incorporate some slow cooking into it…I use canned as well but the dry ones just taste so much better!
I am new to Smitten Kitchen. I cooked this for dinner last night and, oh my goodness, was it tasty! It was much tastier than I was expecting, just because I’ve had some bad experiences with meals like this. Go home, make this. You won’t be sorry!
I am trying all new sorts of food that I’ve usually been to picky to try. This looks like a fantastic recipe for that. I have not had swiss chard (or kale) so I think I will have to make this.
The only part I don’t understand is reducing down the wine. If you reduce it by 3/4, does that mean there is 1/4 of a cup left?
Okay, excuse my ignorance please… white beans – as in cannellini, or haricot beans? I’m guessing it may not matter, but wondering what you used as I can’t quite tell from the pics.
Gorgeous looking recipe btw. Will definitely try it this week.
I made this last night…super duper tasty and big hit with my kiddos. Yummy!
I made this just now. Oh my YUM! I had planned on having my leftover pizza for lunch & this stew for dinner tonight…*but* after having a taste, I decided the pizza could wait until dinner. I absolutely adore your blog and everything I’ve made has been wonderful. I think we have the same taste bud genes. Thank you for your inspiration, your prose, and your recipes.
Going on the list for tomorrow’s lunch. Just what the doctor ordered for this bunch of snifflers!
If you want to add more flavor from the greens, try mustard greens. You’ll never go back. I also add an oz. of diced pancetta to the oil before adding the vegetables. Cannellini are preferred for the beans.
Dale K.
This was absolutely AMAZING!!! I have been scared to death of poaching eggs forever and I tried your technique and they were absolutely PERFECT!! Thank you so much for your inspiration and super yummy recipes!
My family, including my 18 month old daughter LOVED this! We didn’t have any good bread in the house so I put a little diced ham in the bottom of the bowl before adding the beans. My husband said asked when I would make it again. Next time I’m going to double the recipe and freeze it so we have it on hand for a super-quick week night dinner.
All I can say is….WOW. My husband and I just made this dish, and cannot wait to have the leftovers. It had such a great flavor, and was so hearty for the winter months. I thought I bought 1 lb. of greens, but when I got them home and removed the stems, they only measured to 9 oz. The dish still worked out. My husband also added sausage to his portion. And I poached my first egg, thanks to your fantastic instructions! Thanks for the recipe. It is definitely one we will make again.
I have been enjoying your blog for so long but never felt the need to post until now because: I believe you NOT AT ALL that your kitchen is messy. In any picture you have posted (adorable baby) your house is spotless (even the baseboards are shiny)! Loved the stew- made it tonight.
Made this for dinner tonight; it was fantastic! I bought sausage to add just in case it was a little bland like some white bean stews I’ve made in the past, but this was so delicious I didn’t even bother to add it. The poached egg finished it perfectly. Yum!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was beautiful!! I was so impressed with how delicious it was. And I poached an egg correctly for the first time :-) Thanks so much!!
Made this for dinner this past week. Awesome.
I think a little chorizo in here would be lovely, if you wanted to beef it up a bit
I made this for dinner last night. I loved it. The boyfriend loved it Awesome. I used Romaine instead of the chard. However, I think if I made this again I wouldn’t use quite so many beans. Thanks!
I made this last night for dinner but realized I didnt have any wine so I used a spash of vodka and balsamic vinegar. Dont ask, it made sense at the time. It was so good though! What a great healthy dinner, I will definitely be making this all winter.
I love white bean stew, but have never thought to put an egg over it! Why is beyond me, since I top so many other meals with eggs. Thanks for the inspiration! Doing a mental pantry checklist, I’m thinking I might make a collard greens & white bean stew, with some tasso ham thrown in for good measure. Yes, that’s exactly what I’m going to do! :)
Oh my goodness, YUM! My husband and I made this for our Sunday night dinner. We used half chard, half spinach, cause we realized we didn’t buy enough chard. And, we used red wine vinegar as it’s what we had on hand. Our carrots weren’t quite done — next time we need to cut them smaller. Otherwise, really wonderful. Can’t wait to enjoy the leftovers this week!
I made this last night and loved it. Used onions instead of shallots and half chicken stock, half water,along with the pureed tomatoes. Served with drizzled olive oil and crusty bread in lieu of the egg. Perfect winter’s night meal!
I made this for dinner tonight (even the egg!). Hearty and delightful.
I had never thought of putting a poached egg on top anything but eggs benedict, but this was amazing! I loved the soup and the egg. I used frozen spinach (I had it in the house) and it turned out great. Thanks for the new favorite recipe!
My mother in law Carol made this tonight and it was INCREDIBLE. I am looking forward to putting it into my recipe rotation. It was out of sight. I don’t eat meat and so I skipped the egg. My husband Matt ate the egg, and added a sausage to the mix.
This is a really great recipe. The only change I made was to use the rendered fat from a couple of slices of bacon instead of the olive oil (Pretty much everything is better with bacon!). Then I sprinkled the bacon bits on top of the egg at the end. Truly tasty!
Just made this this weekend and it was wonderful. Tasty, healthy and hearty. We had it one night over brown rice and no egg – very yummy – and the next day for lunch with eggs – even better! Thanks. I may try it next time with a ham hock too – just for fun…
Just made this with spinach because it’s what I had…. YUM! So going into the quick fix/post baby rotation. Thank you. I don’t know if I’ve made anythign from this site yet that we haven’t loved!
Hilarious post Deb! U’ve outdone yourself on this one.. his & her rocking chair, this is jan and we have resolutions to attend to.. had me in splits! :)
My husband and I made this last night and it was delicious! I forgot to buy wine so I used about a half cup of broth in that step. We were out of eggs, but next time I’m definitely trying that! Oh and the only tomato puree I could find was in a 28 oz can and I didn’t think I’d be able to finish that much, so I got tomato _sauce_ and just added less salt. I think that worked out fine. I can’t wait to have the leftovers for lunch today!
I made this stew last night and it was fantastic! I love cooking hearty meals on Sunday that become hearty lunches all week. Thanks for the great recipe. It was perfect for the rare snow we had here yesterday in Dallas.
I made this tonight but had to tweek it for my carnivorous husband. Out with the carrots and celery and I added chicken (a whole one cut into pieces). So no stock, just water. Oh, and I used diced tomatoes because that is all I had. It is yummy…and I am feeding vegetation to the carnivore, thanks!
we are chard maniacs at this house. always looking for new versions. made this and LOVED it. so much. thank u, thank u, deb!
Made this for dinner tonight and it was spectacular! Our kids (13 & 10) couldn’t get enough…even the chard. I must say the poached egg is what takes it over the edge…delicious!
Thanks for all of your scumptious posts!
I made this tonight, followed the recipe to the letter, and my boyfriend and I both really loved it! It was my first experimentation with kale (which went well), and poached eggs. My first egg looked like a hockey puck (haha) because the water boiled on me, but the second turned out much better. I am a new reader and am thankful for your egg poaching tutorial and really love going through all of your recipes and gift guide! Thank you!!
Made this for dinner tonight, and was very happy with it! Instead of celery I just chopped up the chard stems (boyfriend is not too fond of celery :)), and it worked great. I also used bean broth instead of stock, because that’s what I had in the freezer, and bean-wise used a combination of canellini (sp?) and white beans. I LOVED the slice of toast (homemade whole wheat sourdough) underneath and the poached egg on top! I’ve never posted on your blog before, but I’ve tried several of your recipes, and I love that I know that if I make something you recommend, it’s going to be good. :) Thanks!
Made this two nights ago and it was terrific; had it with your homemade pumpernickel bread on the side (I’m on my third loaf – trying to work out the kinks in my technique). I went with canned tomoatoes flovered with onion and jalepenos (Rotel) and that kicked it up a bit. Chose the “soupy” side of the scale and just looking at the illustration again I know I’ll be on the “dry” side next time! Thanks for a good meal idea!
I made this last night, and I loved it. I accidentally bought sherry cooking wine (blech) instead of sherry vinegar, so we substituted a little balsamic. The poached egg was pure genius. I also learned that I am NOT skilled at poaching eggs.
i made this last week and it was a hit!! thanks so much for your cooking inspirations!!
making this tonight with dried beans, rainbow chard from my garden & eggs from my chickens! can’t wait!
Awesome! Was out of bay leaves and thyme so I threw herbes de Provence mix and it was fabulous. Also, didn’t have any wine (!!!) and it was still fabulous
Made this tonight and served it alongside some homemade biscuits. Skipped the egg on top and used spinach for my green. I really love spinach but it didn’t do much for me in this recipe. Maybe a heartier green like suggested would be better. I also added half pound of crumbled Italian sausage which I thought made the dish by giving it an extra boost of flavor. I also cooked my veggies in the drippings from browning my sausage. I was a little disappointed that this was so time consuming on a weeknight, but honestly that may have been the biscuits that added the extra time, but definitely worth it. What a great meal to enjoy as I look outside and see snowflakes start coming down.
I just did a white bean and kale soup recipe. I’m comfortable with kale but not chard. I’ll have to try this next time.
This looks wonderful! I love soup during the winter.
A friend suggested your site a month ago and I’ve been obsessed since. I tried this recipe (sub’d spinach for chard since the grocery was out). It was totally fantastic! I read and tried your instructions for poaching an egg but it took 3 wasted eggs before I got one to come out right. Guess I’ll have to keep trying. Thanks again for all the amazing recipes, I’m a dedicated follower now :)
As soon as I saw this recipe I knew I would love it. The first chance I had to make it was last night and it was great! I didn’t do the poached eggs, but the toasted garlic baguette underneath was fantastic. I also topped it with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and a few shavings of parmesan cheese. Hearty, healthy, and delicious!
….in the middle of making the stew….what do (can) I do with the chard stems? Any reason NOT to saute them and add to the stew? My daughter shared your blog with me this past year, and I’m addicted. Another fan! Cheryl
This looks amazing… I gotta go buy me some chard.
This was easily one of the best things I have ever cooked….maybe even one of the best I’ve ever eaten. Perfection. We ate it over slightly over-toasted baguette from the co-op with the poached egg on top and I almost cried it was so good. This will be my new favorite comfort food.
Made it (with spinach not chard), loved it, had enough for dinner for two, two days running.With a fried egg rather than poached, but that’s just us…
Wowza! I stumbled across your site last Friday and every night since then have been cooking from your recipes, you are a woman marvel! This stew is utterly to die for, although I was a little wary about putting my head under the duvet last night, I replaced the chard with kale which combo’d with beans…gassy! That didn’t stop me making your cumin junkie indian dishes tonight – another epic success. Thank you!
Dead easy and delicious. I didn’t even have any shallots and I used vermouth instead of wine. Yum! Perfect for this wannabe snow day. Aside from the chard it uses stuff most of us have all the time. Though, usually I buy chard or kale only watch it slowly get soggy in the back of my crisper.
Have been looking for a simple beans/greens soup and this is very good, even with canned beans and boxed stock (Swanon’s organic, as per CI recs). Even without the bread and the egg. (I ate my bread while cooking.)
I did boil the chard but next time I think I’ll just saute it towards the end of the aromatic saute time. And maybe use rosemary instead of or with the thyme. (Love rosemary and white beans.)
Now if only I could get my toddler to eat it. Enjoy these times of eating anything. If your son is like most, soon he’ll refuse everything but the pizza, bagel, chicken nugget food group.
Made this for dinner tonight, we all loved it. Was sad because there was no swiss chard, which I love, so I used spinach. We all loved it, especially the poached egg, can’t believe how the yoke makes it taste so rich. Only my 18 year old son passed on the egg. Just enough left for lunch tomorrow, yum! Thanks.
I made this for dinner tonight and it was fabulous. I too made it with spinach. My kids wouldn’t touch it (way to healthy), but it was their loss.I simply had it with grated Romano. It was very tasty and satisfying!
I tried this in the crockpot. It cooked all day while I worked. It made the chard bitter. Next time I would cook the chard separately at the end and then add it in.
OH MY GOD
That looks so good. Dang blastit.
This was so, so, so tasty!!! With the egg and the yummy toasty garliced bread underneath, YUM. We ate it the next day for lunch and it was somehow even better.
A new favorite. January is a pretty broke month after spending a grip on the holidays so I’ve been trying to cook inexpensively… this was perfect! Made it the other night for my boyfriend and myself with beet greens and a hearty amount of romano grated on top of everything… we both loved it. The leftovers were just as good, too.
I made this tonight. It was spectacular. I usually make a more basic white bean soup, but the addition of white wine and swiss chard made this one really sing. I poached eggs for the first time, too. Followed your tutorial. Thanks for posting!
Long time stalker and recipe borrower…first time poster. This recipe was A-MA-ZING! I used the chard as recommended and this soup was smokey and delicious – like if I had made it with a hint of bacon or bacon fat (sweating down the vegetables in bacon fat…my secret soup trick) I stayed truely vegetarian. I will be making this again. And again. Sooooooo excited for your cookbook!
Made this last night – it came out wonderfully! This is the second thing I have made from the website, and everyone loved it! (11 month old included!) Keep up the good work! Thanks again!
Love beans, love greens, and truly love your blog–thank you! Making this tonight–can’t find sherry vinegar, but eh, figure any good wine vinegar will be tasty.
I marked this when you posted it, but hadn’t made it until tonight. I had been out all day, and this was a perfect, easy recipe. Thanks so much!
I am an avid collector of recipes that look like a great blend of cancer-fighting and delicious. Ding, ding, ding – we have a winner! I will be sending my blog readers your way. Thanks!
This stew is A-MAZ-ING! I tried a very similar recipe about a year ago, and tired of it long before I finished my first bowl (let alone the 7 days of leftovers any soup yields for a single person). But this…the tomato, the thyme, the slow saute and wine reduction really elevate this to a whole ‘noter level. It’s delicious straight up – I couldn’t find any sherry vinegar at my otherwise very well-stocked store. But I can’t wait to try it with a poached egg on top tomorrow. 7 days of leftovers, here I come!
I’ve made it twice now. First time exactly per recipe and YUM. Second time with a few changes and not as yum. Here’s what I’ve learned.
* You really need to chop the veggies into small pieces to develop the full flavour, and cook for the full 15 minutes. I took a mom’s shortcut and tried to “chop” in the food processor. Big mistake. The vegs just absorbed the oil instead of sauteing and the carmelisation that makes the flavour pop didn’t happen. Hand chop the vegetables.
* You can steam the chard in the microwave while the beans simmer. But, again, hand chop, don’t take a processor short-cut. You lose the texture of the chard and the stew turns a kid-unfriendly greenish black.
* Now, this might be my imagination but I think you get a better result in a large heavy-bottomed stock pot compared to the dutch oven. Maybe it’s the high sides in the cooking process, not sure. Am I nuts? Anyone else find a difference with higher sides when cooking?
Made it for dinner last night and we loved it. In stead of canned tomatoes, I used a tomato sauce I’d made from summer tomatoes and frozen way back in 2010. So I backed off on the added salt a bit. It turned out very well, with enough for lunch today!
Okay, so I finally made this and it was goooood. Especially with that poached egg on top. Fiance and his dad both ate it up. Yay! Definitely going to write about it on the blog. Thanks Deb!
I served this last night for some impromptu dinner guests, but without the tomatoes, double the fresh thyme and piles of garlicky crusty toast. It was absolutely wonderful and I don’t think anybody missed meat. I used dry white beans and soaked them over night. I used to starchy water from the beans in the stew and it made it really creamy white color, very hearty and nice, didn’t miss the tomatoes one bit. Thanks!
I made this a second time last night. I only had 2 shallots because my other 2 were apparently bad. I also decided to not add any chard or any greens at all and increased the amount of carrots and celery. It’s still delicious!
this was amazing and thank you for introducing me to the world of kale. i’ve never had it nor cooked with it before and we loved it! this dish was exceptional and my 18 month old even enjoyed it, thank you for this recipe!
this recipe is a definite keeper. used kale (we just received a huge bag of it from our csa) instead of chard, but otherwise followed the directions precisely. a superb recipe, thanks so much!
I made this over the weekend – all I can say is YUM! It was the perfect cold weather, Saturday afternoon lunch. Both easy and company-worthy. It will be
Wow…wow…wow! I made this last night – I used what I had in the house, which meant adjusting the recipe somewhat – using baby spinach instead of chard etc. I also used cumin and coriander as they were the spices I had on hand. It was simple and delicious and so full of flavour! I will definitely be making this again. AND…with the help of your instructions, I successfully poached my FIRST EGG EVER! and it worked just like you said it would. When that bright gold yolk oozed over my homemade stew I could have cried it made me so happy!
Love this! It’s my new favorite vegetarian recipe. And the poached egg–though not exactly vegetarian–brilliant!
Hello. I made this last night to eat for dinner today (will pick up bread today and poach eggs tonight) and my partner couldn’t resist eating some before bed. Yummy! It’s going to be even better on the toast w/ the egg.
The vinegar on top makes it. Great addition.
I am not a fan of chard but this looks great! Maybe I will give it another shot.
I have a question. I tried another recipe on this site with swiss chard; it had a VERY EARTHY flavor. I soaked the chard, individually cleaned each leaf – but despite having raisins, nuts, vinegar, etc – it still had the earthy taste. As I used both the stalk and the leaf, which part of the chard gives off this earthy flavor? Please help. I would like to try this recipe, but I am not sure about the other greens (kale, chicory, etc) do they also have an earthy taste? I would appreciate any feedback.
I made this stew this week, and my husband and I have devoured it. I couldn’t get to the store, so I used what I had on-hand – that meant a lot of subs: white wine vinegar instead of white wine, onion/garlic mixture instead of shallots, diced tomatoes instead of pureed, and no egg or sherry vinegar. So easy, different, and delicious! We toasted the crusty bread with butter and garlic before covering it with stew and looked forward to our two nights of leftovers afterward! Thanks for a great recipe!
Delicious recipe! I made it last night for 4 people & I added another can of beans- chickpeas, and a half cup more tomato puree & another cup of chicken broth. There was none left!!! So good with sliced baguette with melted cheese on top!!
Searching for a good soup to bring to a friend with a new baby, I came across this one and is was perfect! I added some chicken sausage, which I sauteed up with the garlic and olive oil till it was browned, then threw in the veggies. YUM.
Mmm….the pictures alone have has my mouth watering over this for two weeks now. Finally bought the chard today to make this weekend. Can’t wait!
this looks so delicious! i will be making it this weekend!
We made this last weekend. It was every bit as good as you suggested. It was terrific the second day. The only change we made? We doubled the chard.
Hard to view when I’m starving :) Sounds good, going to try it.
We made this stew awhile ago, with some liberal variations (i’m not a good enough planner to have everything we need for the recipe, and i’m not a good enough recipe follower to add nothing we don’t!) and i wrote about it here: http://curlsandcoffee.blogspot.com/2011/01/my-new-favorite-stew.html
i thought i’d let you know to make sure i credited smitten kitchen properly. it was WONDERFUL, by the way :)
Delicious and so simple; it really is a perfect midwinter meal! Had some last night making up a batch to freeze for weekday lunches; looking forward to having more with an egg on top tonight.
Next time I will add diced tomato instead of pureed, I think, and maybe some more greens. I mixed up the chard with a couple of handfuls of baby spinach that would have gone to waste otherwise, and I liked the textural differences.
I found this vastly improved with a couple cans of hominy along with the beans.
It’s on the stove right now. The lovely smell is killing me! Good thing I have this wine to comfort me :)
I love to cook, and I will try it, thanks
Made this last night and it tastes even better the next day! I have chard growing in my garden so it was very cheap to make. Definitely a budget friendly dish.
I just made this stew – perfect for a snowy day like today! Thanks for posting the recipe. It’s absolutely delicious!
I made this for dinner tonight (its snowing so I figured it would be perfect) and it was wonderful. Its hard to believe there is no cream or butter in this rich and creamy dish. The stew alone would also make a great vegan dish!
Oh my gosh, this is GREAT. I’m embarrassed to admit that I had never bought or cooked chard. But just before I saw this recipe, I had grabbed a bunch of it at the grocery store, thinking I really had to try it. Since I always have lots of white beans, and my husband who will not eat legumes of any kind was out of town for the week, my daughter and I made a huge pot of stew and ate it all week. It does get better every day. I used more of everything so it made a LOT and I was very sad when we finished it off. Can’t wait to make it again soon — really rich, delicious, healthy, and budget-friendly!
I have literally made this three times in the past few weeks. One time with chard, next with spinach, and next with kale. Seriously delicious and definitely one of those go to quick, healthy dishes…I already want to go for a fourth!
This is a wonderful stew. My husband and I thought it was delicious. Even though we don’t have the freezing temperatures and snow in California, we can always use a comforting dish like this on a cold winter night! Thank you for a marvelous website. It’s terrific.
I doubled the recipe and have had this stew for dinner almost every night for three weeks–and I’m not tired of it! The poached egg on top gives me goosebumps, it’s so delicious. Thank you!
Made this for dinner tonight and it was OUTSTANDING!! Only thing I did differently was I added some homemade sausage balls to it then let it simmer for 2 hours before adding the chard. YUM!!!
This looks absolutely divine. I can’t wait to try it. The poached egg on top is genius. All my favs in one fish, beans, greens and eggs. Yummy.
-Brenda
Couldn’t get white beans in Hong Kong yesterday but made with chickpeas.
Excellent! Put bread on bottom of bowl but no egg on top. Used kale.
Will be on my favorites list for sure.
Only had red wine in the house and ran with it! Delicious! (Esp. with the toast and egg!)
I am commenting on this a second time . .because it’s just that good! I just bought the ingredients to make this a fourth (!!) time in two months. I just can’t get enough. I might try a mix of white beans and chick peas tonight. I use frozen spinach (instead of chard), diced tomatoes (instead of pureed), and ginger ale (instead of white wine). Turns out fabulous every time.
Wish I could skip work and cook this recipe. Will try it tonight. Love your blog… looking forward to new posts about your baby food adventures, they are fun. I have a 2yr-old and the challenge is always to make something that I LIKE but that he’ll eat too, so we can all have dinner together and not be a battle.
Finally made this after drooling over the recipe (and pictures) for a week. Fantastic dish – hearty and healthy. Had it with all the fixings – toasted walnut bread, poached egg, freshly grated pecorino, sherry vinegar and fresh tarragon on top. Love!
I made this last week and it was lovely! I cooked the bean portion the day before and added the chard as I was warming it up. Great recipe – many thanks!
This is on my menu list for next week – I LOVE how many vegetarian dishes you create. I can always go to you for inspiration. Thank you!
Finally made this last night and it’s a keeper. Love how healthy and inexpensive the ingredients are. Good excuse to open a bottle of wine too. Thanks! Can’t wait for your cookbook.
PS, I had sherry cooking wine but not sherry vinegar on hand which confused the heck out of me. I thought cooking wine was old wine and old wine was vinegar. Didn’t end up using it, which according to the google research I just did, was the right decision. Guess I could have subbed red wine vinegar?
I made this last week for a dinner party for 10. I had intended to add the chard near the end but got so busy talking and worrying about how the eggs would turn out that I completely forgot to add it until someone asked, “What’s this called?”…. “Chard and- holy cow I forgot the chard!….” It was delicious (albeit less healthy!) without the main ingredient!
The recipe that broke me of my kale prejudice is Bittman’s double garlic collards. It can be made with any hearty green, and I particularly like it with kale. It’s very straightforward– a ton of chopped or sliced garlic (a few tablespoons or more), some chopped leeks or green onions (my addition, not Bittman’s), and the chopped kale stems all sauteed in olive oil. Then you add about 1/2 cup of broth, your chopped and washed greens (1 very large or 2 bunches), put the lid on the pot, let steam for about 5 minutes, then take the lid off, add red pepper flakes to your liking and cook them down, but not to mush. Salt and pepper, and Bittman adds about a tsp of reserved chopped uncooked garlic at the end for an extra punch, which I only do when I remember to leave some aside. They are surprisingly delightful, without the odd after tastes of greens that have been cooked too long, and great with a fried egg on top. In our house we’ve gotten so attached to them that we make a pot every week and eat them with everything. Maybe it’s just my southern roots coming out.
just made this but substituted bok choy for the chard/kale (we live in china, so it’s just way more available!) and a leek and part of an onion for the shallots (they do have those here but not tonight at the hole-in-the-wall veggie stall around the corner). it was FANTASTIC. will definitely make it again, especially since I need practice poaching eggs!
Just wanted to say thanks for a fabulous recipe. Counteracting the health benefits of the stew with the rest of the wine is a happy bonus!
I was just rummaging through the site, looking for recipes that I might have missed, when I came across this one, and realized with real shock that you just posted it in January — this January!
I’ve made this recipe so many times since I first found it, I was convinced it was up here for at least a year or maybe two. Thanks for posting what’s become one of my favorite meals.
Making this right now and it smells DELICIOUS! Cannot wait for dinner. But we’ve been simmering (well, basically a slow boil) for about 40 minutes now and the liquid has reduced only so much to make a slightly thick soup… Nowhere near stew consistency or what’s pictured in the post. Has anybody else had trouble with this?? Maybe it’s because we pureed our own fresh tomatoes and the puree would be thicker from the can?
I think the tomato puree is a really good idea. It makes the soup come together. I made something like this but no wine or broth. To be honest I never understand the broth situation. Maybe you can answer this when you get a chance. Don’t you get vegetable broth when you simmer the soup since it’s vegetables and water? Why do you need to add another broth from some other vegetables? Also how do you get this broth? Do you make vegetable broth, throw away all the vegetables and then make soup in the broth that you made? I am sorry if this is ridiculous but I just do not get this. It’s like you really are making two soups. One is the broth soup and the other.. the real soup.
Anna — Using broth and adding more vegetables produces a ton more flavor than just using letting vegetables broth up some water (yeah, I verbed that). Also, broths are often cooked and reduced for hours for the best flavor; most soups and stews are not.
First of all, let me just say “I am smitten with the cook in the kitchen!” ;) Thank you so much for the wonderful recipes! I particularly love the swiss chard w/beans recipe…reminds me of my mom’s. I would like to ask, where I can find the sherry vinegar? I have looked for it at a couple of grocery stores where I live and I cannot find it. :( Would red wine vinegar be a substitute?
Thanks!
Anna Maria
Hi Anna Maria — I am glad you’re enjoying the site! You can use any vinegar that you have, but maybe dial it back and taste it before you add the full volume. If you have a balsamic, that might be a good swap for the dark, rich Sherry vinegar.
This soup looked so delicious I had to try making it right away. Unfortunately, I used dried beans (quick soaked them first and cooked on their own for an hour)….I added them to the soup and everything was coming along wonderfully– I even added the kale as the final step. Then I tasted it. The beans weren’t soft enough! They aren’t “crunchy” necessarily…but they still don’t taste fully cooked. But I didn’t want to overcook the soup since the greens were already in. I’m a novice at using dried beans….any advice for rescuing this soup? I’d hate to lose it b/c everything else tastes so delicious!
I just made this for dinner tonight and it did not disappoint. This is a delicious stew, we had it with broiled cheese toasts and poached eggs, really good. THanks for the awesome recipe.
My favorite part of this soup was the poached egg on top. What a fun idea to top soup!
Just a note for all who are curious–I’ve made this many times, most recently with red beans and red wine instead of white beans and white wine. Was excellent! A bit earthier. Both ways–white & red–are delicious. I’ve served over toast, quinoa, and brown rice.
why ruin this great stew (or anything for that matter) with an icky poached egg. Bleah.
Why ruin what could be a perfectly polite comment with a complaint about something you don’t care for (but hundreds of others do)? There’s no reason you can’t just leave the egg off when you make it.
This is the best stew I have ever eaten. I served it for Sunday dinner and people still talk about it. I loved the toast on the bottom and poached egg on top. A very satisfying dish. I did sprinkle a little parmesan cheese on top of the stew before adding the egg. Just loved it. Even my five year old boys ate it. Thanks for an easy quick meal.
This is one of my favorite recipe! Thank you Deb for instructions to a tasty hearty meal.
A few notes for myself and anyone who makes it down to comment 347: I like it much better with kale than chard. The kale doesn’t contribute the bitter flavor that chard does. And like JEO wrote, this soup is delicious when made with red wine! It gives a more wine-y flavor, which I love. And my favorite way to top the soup: a huge scoop of siggi’s plain yogurt and a splash of the cooking wine on top.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I made it for dinner today and it was amazing! I left off the egg since I thought the family may not go for it, but I may try it next time. Thankfully there was a little leftover for lunch tomorrow.
I just finished a bowl (ok, two bowls) of this soup for dinner tonight. This is the second time in a month that we’ve made this amazing stew. I love it. I’m crazy about it. This is particularly impressive because I’ve never been a fan of eggs. Except that I’ve now learned that the poached eggs (using the fabulous instructions from SK) were wonderful on top. Smitten Kitchen is reliably one of my favorite recipe sources, but this is stew is a particular favorite. Thanks, Deb — you make our dinners delicious! (We also had your bretzels with a different bean soup earlier this week. I couldn’t quite control myself and ate most of the batch.)
I’m making this right now and while it’s not done yet, it smells amazing. I used dried beans and did a quick soak method, but I’m thinking the cooking time is going to be much extended. Just waiting on those beans. ;) Oops. I too used KALE rather than chard as I know I like it. I’ve poached up one egg for my serving, the hubs will have some parm. shavings…I’ve got some green onion (green only) chopped also to top it off (didn’t’ have chives or the other fresh herbs at the moment). I had some canned tomato and just pureed my own for this. I’m looking forward to it! Thanks so much for a healthy, nutritious and relatively easy dish for a cold winters’ night.
sooooo good! to follow up my post. :) took forever for my beans to cook (next time I’ll plan ahead) but we loved it and it’s a keeper– meaning, I’ll make this again. The hubs and I both enjoyed it immensely. :) Thanks!!!
I think it goes w/o saying, this along with all your posts is a really great recipe. As for the greens, no, I don’t always have them in the fridge, so I always keep several bags of frozen, spinach & kale etc. on hand as an alternative. Thank you for your beautiful blog, & Happy New year!
Patricia Oblack
I made this stew about once a week all last winter, and every time, that line about tomatoes from “your jarred summer supply” needled me. Summer tomatoes are my favorite thing and I was so jealous of anyone who had put some by! So this summer I decided to learn canning, and the first thing I canned was crushed tomatoes. I made this stew again last night with my jarred summer supply of tomatoes and it was just as delicious as I dreamed. Thanks for the inspiration!
This is really the perfect January food — hearty and rib-sticking and healthy enough to make me feel virtuous, not to mention absolutely delicious. I don’t have much to add except that I used fresh spinach because my grocery store was mysteriously out of chard, and also I had to substitute a can of dark kidney beans because I thought I had two cans of cannellini but only had one. Oh, and I had to use a small can of diced tomatoes because I was out of sauce. (What can I say — I just got back from holiday travels and didn’t have a perfect handle on the contents of my pantry.) The kidney beans and tomato chunks gave it a slightly more peasant-ish feel, perhaps, but it was still perfectly delicious. This recipe is a real keeper. Thank you, Deb, as always, for your impeccable taste!
I made this tonight for the first time. Both of my kids turned their noses up when they looked at it. After they both tried it, they couldn’t get enough of it. Very tasty and healthy recipe. Thanks!!
Deb. Yum. Again. Made this exactly as written except with red beans we’d cooked up over the weekend instead of canned white, AND I poached my first ever two eggs. It was heavenly. I bow to you.
I made this last night and it was amazing. I used kale and I did not use the sherry vinegar (just don’t have it) and substituted the shallots for onions I had lying around. It was a bit thick, so I was very happy I bought a BOX of vegetable broth to help it thin out.
I’ve been trying to add more legumes into my diet and came across this recipe – I can’t believe I’m watching my 12 year old son wolf this down. We had it on delicious crusty multi-grain bread, with parmesan on top – the poached eggs look great but we’re just not egg people. Didn’t have sherry vinegar either. Thanks for this!!
I made this the other day and served it with roasted chicken! It was perfect! Thanks!
I made this recipe with the poached egg, and the garlic toast and it was AMAZING!!!
I made this recipe for the first time tonight and it was AMAZING. I substituted the veggie broth with the broth from your chicken taco recipe and it was to die for! Thanks for another amazing dinner. :)
Tastiest bean recipe I have ever made! Used chicken broth and added pancetta too. Will definitely be adding this to the regular rotation with the poached egg, toast and parmesan … mmmmmm.. sooo good! This is the first recipe I’ve made from your site and I will be making many more!
Saw this weeks ago and have been imagining it ever since. Finally made it tonight;success! Kids loved it (9-3yo) and my 5 yo’s comment sums up my response :”Mom, did you make this?!” Thanks Deb!
I love this recipe. And I LOVE your book Deb! I just received the copies I ordered and will be sending many out for the holidays. I’ve made this recipe a few times and it is such a great hearty but healthy dish to bring to work to make up for all the cookies and donuts that taunt me until I eat them. I took a suggestion from one of the other comments and added the chard stems into the mirepoix, which made it even more delicious. I also put a little lemon juice and fresh parsley at the end and added some crushed chilies with the beans. I want to try it with the poached eggs next time! Thanks so much for existing Deb and making my kitchen a happier place.
Not only was this delicious and full of umami awesomeness, but you helped me conquer my poached egg fears! Mmm… this will enter the MVP list.
Made this last night for 7 people (doubled recipe and I have left overs) and it was WONDERFUL. Everyone loved it, people asked for take homes. And it was so simple – I got home at 5:45 and had people coming at 7, I finished the stew just before people got there and left it on the stove in a dutch oven with the lid on to keep warm. I pretoasted the bread and rubbed with garlic prior to guests arriving, and then I was able to sit and chat for an hour without worrying about dinner prep. Then when it was time to eat, one person plated while I poached 7 eggs (in 2 batches) and topped each bowl off as they went to the table. This was AWESOME for a mid-week dinner party, Deb, AWESOME! (ps – we grated gruyere, mmmmm)
What a terrific recipe — used a red onion instead of shallots, a big can of cannelini beans, and a bag of pre-washed kale (you can save time by boiling/tenderizing the greens in one large pot while starting the carrot/onion/celery goodness in another — and then use some of that good cooking water as the veg stock). And your poached egg tip — success on the first try! (Sheer eggwhite madness on the second, but that first one — perfection!). Thanks for a healthy and tasty New Year’s meal, Deb. You’re the best!
Thanks for this – cooked it tonight and topped it with fillets ot baked cod with gremolata. Light, healthy and delicious
This was an easy recipe that was perfect with no tweaks. A definite repeat!
I will definitely do this again! Very very yummy, filling and healthy. And great for cold winter’s nights! I failed miserably with the poached egg, but I’ll keep practicing!
This is exactly the type of dish that I love to make on a regular basis. Especially in the winter. I live in Montreal and its -20C right now. Some great hearty, healthy warming food.
Made this stew today… an ideal meal for the cold days we’ve been experiencing in the Northeast recently. I didn’t cook the chard first, but added it shortly before serving. Delish with some freshly grated pecorino romano.
I’ve been to three children’s birthday parties this weekend. You can imagine my need for real food (and for my child as well). This was so just right. Thank you.
Oh, I liked this even more than recent pasta and white bean dish with rosemary garlic oil. I am a big fan of the splash of vinegar and the tang of the white wine. Plus, the recipe didn’t take as long or dirty up my kitchen as much. Very yummy. Great recipe that I’ll absolutely make again.
This is absolutely delicious! I followed the recipe exactly, topped with parmesan cheese, a pouched egg and chives and served with farm bread buttered and rubbed with garlic. It was the perfect meal on a cozy snowy day like today :)
I’m almost embarrassed to admit how many times I have made this recipe. It’s just so good! I keep sending it to friends in the hopes that they’ll make it more times than I have and I won’t be alone in my soup obsession boat.
Made a half batch of this (first time) and subbed madly: no celery, cut up the chard stems and added those (intended to add celery seed but forgot), doubled the carrot component, no white wine in the house so used a few Tbsp of rice wine vinegar to deglaze the pan, added grape tomatoes from the pack on the windowsill (didn’t want to break in to my canned ones just for a little bit of tomato), and dried thyme because that’s what I had. I love soup, it’s SO flexible! The real revelation was the poached egg – brilliant, Deb, thank you!
Just tried it, delicious and nutritious what more can you ask for?
and did I say it’s easy to make…
Great recipe! I did make a slight tweak, and added some chicken to it for my meat-loving husband. I cut up three boneless, skinless chicken thighs into bite sized pieces and browned them in the pan and removed them before sauteeing the vegetables. I added the chicken back in with the beans and liquids. Delicious, easy, and so filling! (I should note I also replaced the vegetable broth with chicken broth, so really this became a chicken, bean, and chard stew, ha)
YUM! made this easily and quickly today in the middle of another, 3-hr endeavor. Easy as pie, subbed kale for chard and 1/2 tsp dried thyme instead of the fresh. We’re going to eat it with leftover baked ham from a recent “friendsgiving” dinner, and I cannot wait.
Made this for dinner tonight using Rancho Gordo Christmas Lima Beans instead of white beans. My meat loving parents ate it up without complaints and even compliments, no small accomplishment. Thanks for another great recipe!!
I know no one needs another comment saying how good this is, but I’m going to do it anyway. I make this at least once a week, and if company is coming I have it again. It is just so good, and the leftovers are too.
Also, I dump in a few handfuls of pre-washed spinach at the end instead of using chard. Because I’m lazy.
This was so delicious. I admit I did not have high expectations for a bean stew (doesn’t sound like the most exciting thing to eat for dinner), but something magical happened when all these simple ingredients come together in my soup pot. The flavor is outstanding! It’s warm and hearty but not heavy, it’s perfect to make after holidays are over and I’m done pigging out on decedent food. I didn’t have sherry so I drizzled some red wine vinegar at the end. And subbed a can of diced tomatoes for the tomato puree. Thank you so much for this recipe! It’s definitely going to be a winter staple for me.
I’ve been making this for years. I occasionally add some bulk Italian turkey sausage & crushed pepper seeds. This is so yummy. Then again anything with swiss chard is.
Needed to use up my CSA carrots, celery, onion, and kale. This was beyond perfect. Served it over rustic bread just like you suggested. No need for an egg. It was already delicious!! Thank you!!
Tried this recipe on the recommendation of my 24 yr old daughter. I love the spicing, but of course couldn’t exactly follow directions and added hot Italian sausage and used fire roasted tomatoes. Also reduced some of the cooking time so the vegetables retained texture. Felt guilty about using canned beans instead of dried, but I doubt you could tell the difference. I try to use organic when possible and know from previous experience that the flavor can sometimes be superior.
Just had my second bowl, absolutely delicious, I do not have sherry vinegar so I skipped that step but it is such a delicious recipe. I pureed it for my 10 month old and she also loved it. Thank you so much, I am a great fan of your website!
Just made this for the first time with Rancho Gordo white beans and chard. It was more delicious than I would have thought possible. Only sub was sweet onion for shallots. I’ll make this often, but occasionally I’ll add some red pepper flakes for a little heat. It was fine as written, though. Oh, I made it OIL-FREE, just sauteed the vegies in broth. Didn’t miss the oil at all! Vegan and No Added Oil!
We made this last week and loved it so we’re making it again this week! I think the poached egg really makes it perfect. We are eating it with toast rubbed with garlic. This is a great dish and keeps for a few days which is awesome for meal planning. A great vegetarian meal. Thanks Deb.
I just pulled this out of the freezer after making it in the fall. It was incredible! I enjoyed it more than on the night I made it. Next time I’ll make it on a Sunday afternoon and save it for a busy night the following week.
Hi there! I’ve made this recipe dozens of times and absolutely love it! I recently found out that due to a medical condition, I need to try to minimize my gluten intake. Is there any reason this isn’t included with the rest of the gluten-free recipes? And if so, is there any way to modify it so I can keep enjoying most of all the yumminess?!
Hi Kate — This isn’t marked gluten-free because it’s shown draped over a piece of toast. Minus the toast, this is completely gluten-free and I don’t think you’d miss the bread.
Chard is my favorite vegetable. I’m going to make this for my Thanksgiving guests for the night before when they arrive. I’m not sure I get the point of parboiling the chard, can’t it just be added raw a few minutes earlier? What’s the benefit of the added step?
Jeff — I agree, in hindsight. This was a “chef” recipe — they always have extra steps!
I really don’t see a problem with butter, cream, cheese, wine, or booze.
Honestly, it does not matter what recipe I make from this blog. They have all been delicious, and this one was no exception.
I added more carrots, celery and broth than called for. I discovered I was out of bay leaves, so added some oregano and basil. WF was out of fresh thyme, so I added a heaping teaspoon of dried thyme. Throwing that out there in case it’s helpful to anyone.
Thank you, Deb. This will become a regular menu item at my house. I love your recipes.
I made this tonight and have to say this is the most adaptable recipe! I mistook frozen pickle juice for chicken broth (why I ever thought it was a good idea to freeze pickle juice stumps me at this moment) and it STILL turned out amazing! I definitely had to doctor it up with some extra tomatoes and herbs, but it is delicious and just what I needed on the first truly winter weekend here in DC. I love how simple it was to put together and how accommodating the recipe was (I added extra broth, greens, and some rice to bulk it up).
Loved this recipe. This is my first time making a stew with white wine as an ingredient. The flavors came together wonderfully. I ate it with a poached egg and garlic butter croutons. Delicious winter dish!!
Thanks for the great recipe! I made this with a few changes. I used a pound of Royal Corona beans (delicious huge white beans) instead of canned white beans, then used bean cooking liquid with a little better-than-bullion instead of broth. I also used onions instead of shallots and sauteed the chopped chard stems with the other veggies. I used a can of stewed tomatoes rather than pureed tomatoes. I served it over toasted whole-grain bread with a fried egg on top. It was delicious! I highly recommend the Corona beans, they’re delightful.
I had some Rancho Gordo Marcella beans cooked with garlic, bay leaf and vegies on hand. To serve, I added a handful of frozen chopped kale and simmered a few minutes, topped with a poached egg. Worked fine, tasted excellent. Thanks for another great idea. I’m thinking that some vegie sausage would be good with this too.
This is so good, and in regular rotation at our house. It definitely does not require that you blanch the greens ahead of time – I never do and it tastes delicious. Put an egg on it!
Going to make some chicken broth and try this tonight! Love your site! Thanks.
This looks delicious ! Much better than the white bean and escarole dish I made this week. I think I’ll leave my escarole chilled and fresh ! Can’t wait to try this one !
So good, Deb – thank you! Made this tonight, accidentally put in the greens with the beans and tomatoes, and it still came out amazing. This is going into rotation this winter!
I’m late to the Smitten world (having found this site a few months back) but I after having tried about a dozen of your vegetarian recipes, this hands down is my favorite. Although zucchini bread pancakes are a close second…
This was lovely. I diced the chard stems and added them with the carrots etc so they wouldn’t go to waste. Kept it vegan so no egg, but the sherry was a nice touch.
This was delicious and even better the next day. I didn’t have fresh or dried thyme so substituted dried oregano; also substituted brown rice vinegar for sherry vinegar. Topped with parmesan. My super-critical foody son ate it cold out of the fridge and loved it!
Made this with beet greens instead of chard, purple onion instead of scallions, and the leftover half can of tomato paste from the fridge. Sautéed all the veggies in the instant pot, added liquid, beans and herbs, did 10 mins on high pressure with natural release, and still YUM!!! Serving tonight with a thick slice of garlic rubbed toast as suggested :)
I wonder why the chard needs to be blanched? We get wonderful chard from our farmers’ market, so I didn’t bother to precook it. I also sliced the stems finely and sauteed them with the carrot mixture. It seemed fine. Am I missing something? We found the soup to be delicious, healthy and light, but satisfying with the toast and poached egg. I love you site! The recipes are so well written, reliable and creative. And I really love your visuals.
PearlGirl
I think it helps the color stay intact however, this started as a fussy chef recipe and it’s more likely a holdover from that. I’d just add it at the end these days, as you did.
My wife said that she loved this so much. As did I. It is amazing and quite easy to make. I found that I could prep throughout the day and be ready to cook in a few minutes. The prep really isn’t hard at all. And my wife wants recipe forever.
I made this last night, mostly chard with a bit of spinach added to make a l lb. amount of greens. My version is a bit soupy, but it was delicious nevertheless. I used onions (in place of shallots) and didn’t have sherry vinegar. But once again Deb’s recipe was amenable to modest changes, and the result was fine.
I absolutely love this recipe and have made it a number of times.
I, too, don’t blanch the chard (aka silverbeet here in Australia) – and I accidentally used sherry / dry fortified wine instead of sherry vinegar when I first made it and really loved the taste so now I always add some of that!
It’s one of my favourite veg recipes and I’m just sad that I can’t convince more people to eat it. I think they don’t like the sound of a “white bean and silverbeet stew” even though I assure them that it’s truly delicious…
Thanks for this recipe.
I made this last night and it was amazing. Everyone in the house loved it.
One note: I don’t see in the recipe where it says what to do with the ribs/stems that are removed and cleaned in the ingredients list, so I chopped them and added them with the carrots and celery.
I used rainbow chard and red Russian kale and substituted cooking sherry and light beer for the white wine because I didn’t have any on hand.
I’ll definitely be keeping this recipe on hand to make again!
Forgot to mention, I did not blanch the chard and it was fine.
I just made this with dry marsala, chicken stock and black eyed peas. Damn! Thank you for the blueprint!
Aaaannnnnnnd yet again I’ve gone down the Alice in Wonderland hole of Smitten Kitchen recipes on a Saturday morning, in my pjs, whilest still in bed!
Deb, or whomever reads the endless whirl-wind of email/blog comments, I’ve enjoyed your blog for many years now and reading your posts always make me feel better if I’m ever “homesick” for the east coast. Although not from NY (though I WAS born there, so I suppose I’m a true NYer), I am from Philly. Thanks for all your humor, cooking banter, slightly askew realtiy checks, and amazing recipes! You seem like you’d be a great chick to know and be pals with!
Happy Saturday!
Tracy
I made the following modifications:
Double the amount of garlic
No need to blanch the greens
Chop up the chard stems and add them, along with the garlic, about five minutes after you have started to sauté the other vegetables
Did not have access to fresh thyme, so used combination of dried thyme, Italian herbs, total of at least 2 teaspoons
Also added some red pepper flakes
As should be obvious, this recipe is more like a blueprint. I had only one shallot, so I used ~5 cloves of garlic. Also used a full 28-oz can of tomatoes (Cento brand) and a full quart of chicken broth. Didn’t have white wine, so used a hefty splash of dry sherry (Lustau East India Solera) and skipped the vinegar entirely. I didn’t find it terribly soupy, but that’s probably a matter of taste. I served with chopped fresh parsley and grated parmesan. I can easily imagine throwing in leftover rice or adding barley. A good one, to be sure! You can’t really go wrong . . .
Your offer to email recipe is a ridiculous. Waste of time, !!! I had to check pictures 6 different times!!!
What can I sub for white wine? I don’t have any on hand and would love to make this tonight. Thank you! (LOVE your blog so very much).
You can skip it.
Try adding either some mushrooms with the vegetables or a dash of Worcestershire sauce for a bit more of an “umami” addition to the taste if you’re going to skip the wine.
I steamed my chard tonight which was faster than waiting for the water to boil and didn’t really require the chard to be wrung out after. I’d recommend if you still want to pre cook for tenderness and color but also want to save a little effort.
Excellent recipe! I had never cooked with Swiss Chard before, and it came out so good! I added a bit more broth bc my kids love soupier things,but it was so delicious. The pouches egg on top was
Amazing. Thanks for those extra instructions on how to poach an Egg.
I made this tonight without tomatoes or celery and honestly forgot to add the chard… it was AMAZING! Perfect election week comfort food. Tasted like a soup that had cooked all day and yet was ready in under an hour! Used homemade sourdough croutons and topped with Parmesan.
Highly recommend! Another keeper from Deb. ❤️
I never cook veggies in water, most of the vitamins drain out. I wash them, and put them in a large frying pan , covered over low heat. The water they are washed in, in enough to cook them. Or steam them.
The ribs of chard (cut in pieces) are delicious steamed with a bit of olive oil drizzled over them and squeezed lemon, bit of salt and pepper.
Made a version this last night and it was a hit! We made due with what we had on hand, so we skipped the celery and added a bit more carrots, swapped the shallots for onions, used rainbow chards and 1.5 cup crushed tomatoes instead of 1 cup of purée (and a little less broth) It was really tasty, i’ll definitely remake it, hopefully closer to the original but it seem like a very forgiving recipe.
I served it with toasted garlic bread, no eggs. Very filling and really delicious!
This recipe is so easy and so good. I also don’t blanch the greens first. I add extra garlic and have used a couple tablespoons of apple cider vinegar when I want to make this but don’t have white wine.
I made this for the first time tonight. I used what I had available, so kale instead of chard, no white wine, and a cup of Rao’s marinara. It is DELICIOUS. My husband and 5 year old approve. My 3 year old is not yet sold on beans but we’ll get there, maybe. Thank you Deb for this incredible addition to my growing list of plant based meals.
This was one of the first recipes I tried after deciding to teach myself to cook a decade ago. I’ve probably made it a hundred times since then. Teaching someone to cook is teaching someone both an art and a skill. Thank you for generously sharing these recipes online as well as in your cookbooks. :)
It’s embarrassing how often I make this, thank you for one of my favorites! <3
Hi – love your recipes. I am watching calories and wondered if you have nutrition data as I’d like to make it and it seems like it would be good on calories. Thanks in advance.
Thank you for all of your great recipes and tips!! I love cooking and baking them! So easy to make and such well explained instructions!! Thank you!!
Loved this! I made this almost exactly as written. I did not pre-boil the greens, just added them in at the end and I thought it worked fine. It was an easy meal to pull off on short notice and as long as you keep basic produce on hand, it’s essentially a pantry meal. The depth of flavor was so good, so don’t skip that super long sauté for the shallot-garlic-carrot-celery, because that is where the magic happens. The sherry vinegar added a gorgeous brightness to the dish. I served it with salad and a rustic loaf of bread. It fed 4 vegetarians as a cozy dinner with a little leftover. When I make this again I will add some chopped veggie sausage.
I am amazed by the number of comments! I’ve made this a few times and last night it came out the best. I wanted to pull this off with dried beans for a weeknight dinner, so I started my dried white beans in the instant pot before I started chopping. The beans were just about done by the time I needed them in the recipe. I used 1 c bean cooking water and 1 cup stock, which added some nice flavor and body. The other key to the flavor was letting the wine cook down (sometimes I get impatient).
This link is to the Dan Barber recipe is broken http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Kale-and-White-Bean-Stew-351254
We’re not huge bean fans around here but I’d like to eat them more since they’re so good for you! So I used my immersion blender at the end to puree it a bit and make the consistency chunkier. I also added mild Italian sausage with the sliced chard at the end (which I cooked first in the pot instead of the chard and set aside until the end). The result was super hearty but tasted great! Another SK recipe keeper.
I make a VERY similar soup, which I love. Additionally to the directions above, I take the chard stems and slice them 1/2″ wide and throw them in the oil with the onion/celery mix.
I go for full golden color….if not even a little carmelization. ;-)
Sometimes I chop and throw in the overripe tomatoes that I have sitting on the counter at this point instead of canned tomatoes and let them go soft here (I don’t mind seeds and skin bits) or sometimes I just theow them into the soup and let it cook a little longer.
Just made this last night as it was highlighted in a recent newsletter. Wow, it was perfect. I used Rancho Gordo’s Marcella Beans and they were perfect. We served it with sliced roasted sausage on top and crusty baguette. Excellent recipe, thanx.
Made this last night. Such an easy recipe with incredible flavor!! I live in Mexico City and couldn’t find chard so subbed kale. Also used jarred white beans because canned are not available. I was afraid they might be mushy but they worked perfectly. Thank you for another great recipe that will be in regular rotation!