Shopping List:

White Bean Spring Chili

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ½ medium onion
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 rib celery, chopped
• ½ small zucchini, quartered and sliced
• 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
• 1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes
• 1 15-oz. can small white beans or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes soaked in 1 cup of water for 2 hours (save the soaking water)
• ¼ bunch (6 oz.) Swiss chard, stemmed and chopped
• ¼ teaspoon rosemary
• ½ teaspoon thyme
• ½ cup loosely packed torn fresh basil
• Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Mixing your Goods:

White Bean Spring Chili – Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook 1 minute, or until garlic is fragrant. Stir in onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, and rosemary and cook about 15 minutes, or until onions are soft.

Add broth, ½ of the canned tomatoes, beans and thyme. Simmer on medium/high heat for 15 minutes. Take out 1 cup of the soup mixture and put it into food processor or blender, and add remaining can of tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, and sun-dried tomato soaking water. Purée until smooth, stir mixture into soup, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 10 minutes.

Add Swiss chard and simmer briefly until chard is wilted. Remove from heat, and stir in basil.