Years ago my doctor advised me to "eat colorful foods". "When you look at the foods on your plate, there should be lots of color and variety," he explained. Great advice, and easy to remember. Colorful fruits and vegetables are loaded with nutrients.Here's a warming fall and winter stew that is so alive with color, it makes me smile just to look at it. Just take your basic white bean and ham soup, and rev it up with tomatoes, fresh pumpkin, and chard.
Notes
- This recipe calls for a sugar pumpkin (the kind you use to make pies). You can easily substitute the same quantity of butternut squash or almost any winter squash.
- Add some barley along with the ham hock and pumpkin to add more body to the soup.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups chopped yellow onion
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 stalks celery - chopped
- 4 cloves garlic - peeled and minced
- 1 2-pound whole sugar pumpkin - halved, seeds scooped out, flesh peeled, and cut into 1-inch chunks (resulting in 3 1/2 cups or 1 pound of chunks)
- ½ pound ham hock
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 1 15-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes - drained OR 1 large fresh, ripe tomato, peeled and chopped
- 6 sprigs thyme - tied with string (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 2 15-ounce cans cannellini white beans - rinsed and drained, or homemade
- 4 large Swiss chard leaves - can substitute kale, center rib removed, leaves roughly chopped
- freshly ground black pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil on medium heat in a large, thick-bottomed Dutch oven (5 to 6 quart).
- Add the onion and the bay leaves and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until slightly softened.
- Add the chopped celery and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for a minute more.
- Add the chopped pumpkin and the ham hock to the pot.
- Stir in the chicken stock, tomatoes, and thyme.
- Increase the heat to bring to a simmer.
- Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, uncovered. Let simmer for an hour and a half.
- Remove the ham hock from the soup pot to a plate to let cool enough to handle.
- Add the white beans and cook for 15 minutes.
- Add the chopped chard and simmer until the chard is wilted, a few minutes more.
- Strip the meat from the ham hock, chop it, and return to the pot.
- Add 1 to 2 cups of water to the soup to thin it to your preference.
- Remove the bay leaves before serving.
- Add freshly ground black pepper and adjust seasonings to taste.
Nutrition
Calories: 315kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 20gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 634mgPotassium: 725mgFiber: 2gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 2093IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 60mgIron: 2mg