Some meals are made for company you planned for. This one is made for the company you didn’t — the friend who calls at five o’clock undone, the neighbor going through a hard season, the grown child who comes home hungry and quiet. A big pot of soup asks a simple question: is there room for one more? The answer, always, is yes. Add a little more broth, tear off some bread, and pull up another chair.
It is humble food — beans, greens, a few vegetables softened in oil — but humble food has fed the faithful for a very long time. It nourishes the body and, somehow, the soul right along with it.
What you’ll need
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cans (15 oz each) white beans, drained and rinsed
- 6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or a few fresh sprigs)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 bunch kale or Swiss chard, stemmed and chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- A squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of good olive oil, to finish
How to make it
- Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery with a pinch of salt, and cook until soft and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook one minute more.
- Add the beans, broth, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a gentle simmer and let it cook, uncovered, for about 20 minutes.
- For a creamier pot, scoop out a cup of the soup, mash or blend it, and stir it back in. This little step makes it taste like it simmered all day.
- Add the greens and simmer until tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Taste and season well with salt and pepper.
- Finish each bowl with a squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with warm bread for tearing and dipping.
Serves 6 generously — and stretches to feed more with an extra cup of broth and a little faith.
Make a pot big enough to share. Someone near you is hungry for more than soup.
The Sacred Table Co. 