Hearty and delicious, this bean and Swiss chard soup is chock-full of veggies and beans. It’s super easy to make and so very satisfying on a chilly day. Serve with slices of homemade bread for the ultimate comfort food meal.
Soup is one of my very favourite things to make (and, of course, eat). I love how you can quickly turn some super simple ingredients into a cozy meal.
And with the cooler winter temperatures, there is nothing quite like serving up a big bowl of soup after you’ve been snow clearing outside. It just hits different.
This bean and Swiss chard soup is quite filling and delicious because it’s packed with lots of veggies and beans. Plus, it’s warming, herbaceous and can be on the table in not much more than 30 minutes. What’s not to love?
Ingredients
- Olive oil: Used for sauteing the veggies. You can use another cooking oil if you prefer, such as vegetable oil or avocado oil.
- Vegetables: Lots of yummy colourful veggies are used in this comforting soup recipe, including garlic, onion, carrots, celery and Swiss chard.
- Tomato paste: Adds a depth of flavour and lovely hue to the broth.
- Seasoning: Kept quite simple and includes rosemary, salt and black pepper.
- Chicken broth: I used regular store-bought chicken broth. You can use a homemade version if you prefer.
- Canned beans: Specifically white kidney beans (also known as cannellini beans) are used in this homemade soup recipe.
- Parmesan cheese: For garnish. Adds a nice touch but can be omitted if you like.
How to Make Bean and Swiss Chard Soup
Here is an overview of how to make bean and Swiss chard soup (full details are in the recipe card below):
- Heat olive oil in a soup pot.
- Add the onion, carrots and celery, then season with a little bit of salt and black pepper. Cook until softened.
- Stir in garlic, tomato paste and rosemary.
- Pour in chicken broth. Bring it to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer.
- Stir in the Swiss chard leaves and cannellini beans. Cook until the leaves are wilted. Easy!
Serving
This bean and Swiss chard soup is so satisfying on a cold day, if you ask me. Typically, I serve it with some slices of homemade bread or buttered crackers. If you want a heartier meal, it pairs wonderfully with veggie pasta salad, garden salad, or a sandwich (like a simple grilled cheese sandwich or veggie sandwich).
Tips and Variations
- Swiss chard colour: I used red Swiss chard, so it did impact the overall colour of the soup broth and, combined with the tomato paste, gave it a red hue. You can use white Swiss chard if you’d like. Leaves of both colours taste the same.
- The greens: As a variation, try using chopped kale leaves instead of Swiss chard leaves.
- Veggie thickness: You don’t want the celery or carrot sliced too thick because this recipe comes together quickly. If your veggies are on the chunkier side, they will take longer to soften.
- Broth: As mentioned, I used a regular store-bought chicken broth. If you want to reduce some of the sodium, consider using a lower sodium chicken broth. To mix things up, try vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Again, you can use a homemade broth or store-bought.
- Add spice: I’ve also made this bean and Swiss chard soup with the addition of crushed red pepper flakes. If you want a little spice in your soup, feel free to add some to taste.
- Protein: If you want to add some protein to the soup, you can mix in some cooked bacon or cooked crumbled sausage. To save time (and also delicious), add in some store-bought rotisserie chicken. Just cut it into into bite sized pieces and heat through when you add the Swiss chard and beans.
More Comforting Soup Recipes
If you make this bean and Swiss chard soup recipe, be sure to leave a comment below!
Bean and Swiss Chard Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 ribs celery, sliced
- pinch salt, plus more to taste if necessary
- pinch black pepper, plus more to taste if necessary
- 3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1.5 teaspoons dried rosemary, use ½ teaspoon less if you want less rosemary flavour
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 6 to 7 cups chopped Swiss chard leaves, about 5 ounces
- 1 (19-ounce) can white kidney beans (also known as cannellini beans), rinsed and drained
- Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a medium soup pot over medium heat. (I used an enameled cast-iron Dutch oven.)
- Add the onion, carrots and celery. Season with a pinch each of salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the veggies are softened, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic, tomato paste and rosemary. The veggies should be nicely coated in the tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute, stirring regularly.
- Add the chicken broth. Stir. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Stir in the Swiss chard leaves and beans. Cook until the Swiss chard leaves are wilted, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add salt and black pepper to taste, if necessary (my chicken broth was salty enough, so I skipped this).
- To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy! Yields about 4 to 6 servings.
Notes
- Swiss chard colour: I used red Swiss chard, so it did impact the overall colour of the soup broth and, combined with the tomato paste, gave it a red hue. You can use white Swiss chard if you’d like. Leaves of both colours taste the same.
- The greens: As a variation, try using chopped kale leaves instead of Swiss chard leaves.
- Veggie thickness: You don’t want the celery or carrot sliced too thick because this recipe comes together quickly. If your veggies are on the chunkier side, they will take longer to soften.
- Broth: As mentioned, I used a regular store-bought chicken broth. If you want to reduce some of the sodium, consider using a lower sodium chicken broth. To mix things up, try vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Again, you can use a homemade broth or store-bought.
- Add spice: I’ve also made this bean and Swiss chard soup with the addition of crushed red pepper flakes. If you want a little spice in your soup, feel free to add some to taste.
- Protein: If you want to add some protein to the soup, you can mix in some cooked bacon or cooked crumbled sausage. To save time (and also delicious), add in some store-bought rotisserie chicken. Just cut it into into bite sized pieces and heat through when you add the Swiss chard and beans.
A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.
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