I’m going to pretend we are all in a book club together for just a minute.
Have you read Divergent?
I’m sure that if you clicked over to look at the book, glanced at the cover/synopsis…you probably thought uh, not for me.
That is exactly what I thought. And then I read one page….and promptly read the entire book. In two days. Yes, it’s kind of a futuristic, dystopian society, hunger-games-kind-of-story, but it is intriguing, and exciting and adventurous and scary and gosh darn good.
(Plus the love story that is intertwined in all the madness took me RIGHT BACK to my sophomore year of high school when the hugely popular, star football player asked little old scrawny sixteen year old ME to the senior prom.I got butterflies and sweaty palms all over again.)
And you know what goes perfectly with getting sucked into a good story?
A good bowl of soup.
Mushroom + Swiss Chard Soup
PRINT Recipe
- 3 leeks
- 1 T olive oil
- 1 lb mushrooms (I used a mix of oyster, baby portobello, and shiitake)
- 1 head of swiss or rainbow chard
- 2 head garlic, minced
- 1 T brown miso paste
- 14 oz can white beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/4 t dried thyme
- 1 quart of vegetable stock
- salt and pepper to taste
- parmesan for serving (optional)
Trim the roots and the tough green parts off the leeks. Then slice into disks, separate the layers with your fingers, and rinse thoroughly to release any dirt. Then slice your mushrooms and your swiss chard (removing the stems).
Heat the olive oil over medium heat, then add the leeks. Once they have started to brown, add the mushrooms and let them sort of sweat for a few minutes. Then add the chard, garlic, thyme and miso paste and cook for 5-10 minutes or until everything is tender and the miso paste has incorporated.
Next, add the beans, vegetable stock and simmer for another 5-10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese to serve, and get yourself a good book to enjoy while eating.
OK i know this will sound like a silly question, but WHERE did you get the miso paste? like where in the actual store? i’ve always heard in the refrigerated foods/produce section but i cannot find it anywhere. ANYWHERE! and i’ve been to 4 different grocery store chains in two different states!
Oh no! I hate it when I can’t find an ingredient. I found it at Sprouts here in CO…it’s sort of like a Trader Joes/Vitamin Cottage mix. It was in the hippie section…by all the tofu, kombucha, and non-dairy cream cheese.
I don’t know if they have them where you are, but I get mine at the asian grocery store. Any type of asian grocery store should have it, but korean or japanese is probably the best.
Whole Foods: Usually in the vegan section …. back of store by the wines.
Trader Joe’s: You can check where they have all the cold (vegan) salads and tofu.
I was actually looking for miso paste myself, tonight, at Whole Foods and found it in the International Aisle, near the soy sauce and such. Only downside – it was $11.99.
Ok, I’m trying not to use too many capitals and shout at you but I FREAKING LOVED Divergent. I was kind of obsessed with it for a few weeks after I finished. Did you read the second book yet? The third doesn’t come out til next Fall, waaaaah.
Divergent is AMAZING!!!!!!! Amy and I both inhaled that book and its sequel. Can’t wait for the third! Sooooo good.
If you liked Divergent, you’ll LOVE the sequal Insurgent. SOOOO good. I read it in 2 days and then reread the whole thing again the second I finished it.
LOVED Divergent.
You’re right….by looking the cover and reading the summary I probably would pass it by….BUT, I’ve heard so many great things about it! I’m going to see if my library has it, stat!
Sluuuuuuuuuuuuuurp.
Must read Divergent! I’m convinced..
Also…did you see this yesterday? I was all stoked whe I saw it…I was like hey, I knwo that blog!
http://bitesizewellness.com/2012/11/10-cinnamon-recipes-swoon-over/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=10-cinnamon-recipes-swoon-over
YES! I loved Divergent, And the second book (Insurgent, I think) is also very good. I love dystopian fiction!
Um, can we please see pictures from that prom?? PLEASE???
Also good to know – always looking for good books to read!
This soup sounds fantastic! I’ve always been a huge fan of mushrooms and swiss chard, plus the miso paste is something I never would have thought of using. It’s nice to hear someone talking about a book that’s not 50 Shades of Grey
That book actually does sound pretty interesting! My boyfriend and I definitely both went through the Hunger Games phase earlier this year.
I love how swiss chard looks. So colorful! And I’ve been on the lookout for a yummy mushroom soup. This may be my next soup experiment!
Hi! Is “Divergent” appropriate for my 13-yr-old daughter? She loved the “Hunger Games” & “Twilight” series.
It’s pretty violent…would probably be R rated if it was a movie. But I don’t have much of a reference for what is appropriate for 13 year olds…sorry!
Nothing like soup anytime. We all love it in our families.
Yesterday, I made a huge pot of (vegan) creamy tomato soup w/rice or pasta. Together w/grilled cheese sandwiches + mixed salad = delicious. Dessert: cookies!
I’m not usually a huge chard person… But I could eat that soup up right now for dinner. It just looks delicious and hearty and healthy! Pinned it… gonna make it!
This looks wonderful! I love soup, especially now that the weather is getting cooler. I’ll be making this soon!
That book actually sounds like my cup of tea. I love dystopian anything lately. And it’s only $7 on kindle? Sign me up.
I also made a soup with greens and mushrooms recently. I made this and used mushrooms instead of zucchini. This soup was out of this world delicious. Have you done the parmesan rind in the soup thing? Magical!
http://bevcooks.com/2012/08/white-bean-kale-and-italian-sausage-soup/
I am making this tonight! I have yellow miso. do you think it will work? also, any idea how long miso lasts? I bought it months ago. I’m a miso newbie.
I made this soup last night and it is SO. GOOD. This is a keeper!