Sweet Potato, Chard, and Bean Soup

This recipe is inspired by the beans and soup my good friend Libby Lyon posted about the other day on her Instagram. She slowly simmered her beans with a few generous glugs of olive oil, herb stems, garlic, lemon, salt, and pepper. I had a jar of “eye of the goat" beans that I picked up in Tbilisi back in October, and her method inspired me to give them the same treatment.

The result are tender, creamy as can be, beans and a rich, flavor-packed broth that can be used as a base for soup on its own (which for me was a total 💡 moment). All you do is, once the beans are done, strain them, and then use the broth to simmer sweet potatoes until they soften. Add swiss chard leaves and cook until they wilt and then stir in a few cups of beans. That's it! You can saute some onions and the chard stems, but honestly, it's so good as is (especially topped with yogurt and a handful of herbs). You can use potatoes or w/e root veg you might have and any hearty green instead of the chard.

The sweet potatoes taste like candy, the beans are simply delightful, and the tangy yogurt cuts through the broth’s brininess and rounds it all out with its creaminess. SO easy and delicious it'll have you jumping out of your seat from the pure and simple joy of beans. If you think I’m kidding, I’m not.

Sweet Potato, Chard, and Bean Soup

serves 4 to 6

Use whatever aromatics you have on hand, if you don’t have one, don’t worry about it. A pinto or cannellini bean will work well here.

Beans:
1 lb dried beans, soaked overnight
½ yellow or white onion, peeled
4 to 5 garlic cloves, peeled
½ lemon
handful of herb stems (parsley or cilantro), few sprigs thyme if you have some, any fennel stalks you might have lying around in your fridge
bay leaf or two (optional)
dried chili pepper (optional)
few generous glugs of olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Soup:
2 small sweet potatoes or medium potatoes, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 bunch swiss chard, or other hearty green, such as kale, collard greens, or spinach, destemmed, leaves roughly chopped
Yogurt, handful of parsley or cilantro leaves, flaky sea salt, pepper, and olive oil (for serving)

To make the beans: Drain and rinse the soaked beans. Place beans in a large pot, and add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Add whatever aromatics you have on hand. Pour in the olive oil and add salt and pepper until liquid is nicely seasoned.

Bring to a boil, cook for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to lowest setting, cover, and simmer until beans are firm, but tender, anywhere from 1 to 2 hours (Libby’s were done on the earlier side, mine the latter, just keep checking on them starting around the 1 hr mark). Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.

To make the soup: Once beans are cooked, strain them, reserving beans for later use, and pour broth back into the pot. Add about 2 to 3 cups of water to slightly dilute the broth (taste after the addition of each cup until broth is to your liking - season with salt if needed)

Add sweet potatoes, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until sweet potatoes are fork tender, about 10 to 15 minutes depending on the size of chunks. Add chard leaves and allow to simmer for 3 to 5 minutes to soften them. Stir in 4 cups beans (or more). Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with a big dollop of yogurt or sour cream, a handful of herbs, flaky sea salt, a few grinds of black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.