Summer Swiss Chard Soup

This light and delicious soup is perfect for a breezy, early summer day.

You will find the most tender, flavorful Swiss chard at your farmer’s market in late spring or early summer.

Summer Swiss Chard Soup

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp best quality olive oil
• 1 Tbsp chopped garlic
• 1 thinly sliced Vidalia onion
• 1 bunch Swiss chard (Swiss chard comes in green, red and rainbow varieties)
• 8 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 package of fresh tortellini (you may substitute mezzaluna from Bologna; my favorite variety is stuffed with porcini mushrooms and truffles)

Garnish

• fresh basil leaves
• freshly grated pecorino romano cheese

Instructions

1. In a large pot, sauté sliced onions and chopped garlic in olive oil until transparent (about 5 minutes).
2. After removing the hard spines from each chard leaf, stack leaves into a flat pile, roll up the pile into a cylinder, and slice thinly from the rolled end.
3. Add chard to pot and toss well with garlic and onions to thoroughly coat the leaves.
4. Add the stock to the pot and bring to a boil.
5. Add the tortellini and cook according to package directions (about 4-5 minutes; do not overcook or pasta will fall apart).
6. After ladling steaming soup into bowls, sprinkle each portion with finely shredded basil leaves and some pecorino romano.

Serve immediately.

(Fresh chard and basil lose their flavor when reheated.)

Bon appétit!