White Bean, Escarole and Roasted Garlic Soup

Start with about a couple of quarts of a great vegetable broth.  For this I used a bag of scraps from onion, broccoli stalks, mushrooms and parsley (along with misc other stuff).  I created a broth by covering the veggies with water by about 3" and boiling for about 40 minutes.  I added a small pinch of salt and a spoonful of miso.  Here are instructions for creating your own broth.

INGREDIENTS
4-6 cups vegetable broth
2 heads of garlic, roasted
extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion
1 carrot, peeled finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
zest from 1 lemon
2 T sherry or rice wine vinegar
2 cans white beans, well-rinsed (cannoli, northern, etc)
3 cups escarole (kale works well here, too) sliced in 1/2 inch strips (if the leaves are 3-4" across, halve them first)
1/2 t tumeric
1/2 t oregano
2 bay leaves
salt, freshly ground pepper to taste

RECIPE
Allow roasted garlic to cool (cut top off bulb to barely expose garlic, sprinkle with olive oil; cook in a 450 degree oven for 30-40 minutes, until skin browned and garlic is soft).

In a stock pot, add a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat.  Add onions, carrot and celery and a small pinch of salt.  When vegetables begin to soften, add tumeric.  Allow to simmer for about 10 minutes until vegetables are slightly browned.  Add bay leaf, oregano. lemon zest, vinegar, and a ladle of broth.

Bring to a simmer.  Grind in black pepper to taste.  Add beans and about about 8 cups of broth  Once boiling, add garlic cloves removed from their paper.  Allow to simmer for about 20 minutes.  While at a nice simmer, add your chopped greens. Turn the heat off and let sit for 2-3 minutes before serving.  If you use kale, you can allow the soup to simmer for 2-3 minutes.

This soup is terrific with a salad of butter lettuce with grated carrot and beet, topped with a nice vinaigrette and a bit of avocado.  It is terrific the next day, too.

Vegetable Broth From Scratch

An onion halved; a carrot in pieces; a couple of stalks of celery...throw it in a stock pot with a pinch of salt and a bay leaf.  Cover with water by about 3 inches and boil for 45 minutes.  This is how you make a very simple broth that can be used as a base for soups and stews.

Want to add a bit of color?  Save the scraps of veggies, shelled shrimp, shucked oysters...put them in a 16-0z soup container or a gallon freezer bag and add the goodness of all the food you prepare to your soups.  Be sure to have the basics (onion, carrot and celery or mirepoix) and add your bag.  Be sure your liquid is about 3" above the top of the veggies and boil away, straining with a cheese cloth, tea towel, or even colander when it's cooled.

Some of my favorite to freeze: fennel, parsley stalks, cabbage leaves not pretty enough for salad...any tired vegetable that's a little too far to eat if you leave it until tomorrow.  Old apples and pears; ginger, garlic peel...you name it!