chard and artichoke soup

I came around to chard a few years ago, mostly because of my friend Susan, of Farmgirl Fare, who posted gorgeous pictures of her Missouri grown chard - deep green, and obviously delicious.

She had recipes, too - chard salads that you could almost taste through the computer - and a particular one that always appealed to me: Chard and Artichoke Soup.

So last night I finally made it! It's an unusual combination - chickpeas, artichoke hearts, and chard, simmered together and pureed - and it is good! Best of all, you usually have most of the ingredients on hand in the pantry, so all you need is the fresh chard. I served it with the sweet potato sticks I love so much, and it was a lovely combination. As usual, I added in some herbs and spices that weren't included, but kept (mostly) to the recipe she posted.

To make:

3 T. olive oil

2 onions, peeled and sliced thinly

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 14 ounce can artichoke hearts in water, drained and rinsed

1 15 ounce can chickpeas ( garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed

about 2 cups Swiss chard stems, chopped

about 3 cups Swiss chard greens, chopped

about 2-3 cups chicken stock

1 t. Worcestershire sauce

1. t oregano

dash of hot pepper flakes

1 T. fresh rosemary, chopped

1/3 cup chopped parsley

pepper and salt to your taste

Heat the oil in a large pot on medium, and add the onions and chard stems. Stir well and lower heat a little, then cover and cook about 15 minutes, covered.

Uncover the pot, stir, and add the garlic, stirring well. Add the artichoke hearts, the chickpeas, chicken stock, herbs and spices, Worcestershire sauce, and Swiss chard leaves. Bring up to a boil, then turn down to simmer for about 30 minutes, with the pot covered.

Puree with an immersion blender ( or a regular blender), and taste carefully before serving.

If the soup is too thick, add small amounts of water until the texture pleases you. I did find the next day the soup had thickened, so I just added a little more chicken stock to thin it out.

Enjoy!