White Bean Soup With Asparagus And Spring Greens

I’ve been foraging since I was little. Granted, I didn’t know what the term forage was at the time, and it was simply a part of the growing up on the family farm. Grandma June, likely a little miffed with me and my siblings being nuances after school, would give us bags and tell us to walk the field and ditch line to find asparagus. It was fun, plucking the fresh spears that would make delicious meals. When I first saw asparagus in the grocery stores I was confused by the perfect evenness in size and length of spears. What we found and harvested were all different sizes, lengths and colors. Delightful. And as a rule “never the first or only, and never the last,” meaning leave some to grow for next year and others.

This soup is simple, and makes the most of the season’s earliest vegetable.

Play with your flavors here, as they will change depending on the greens that you have available. For example, spinach and chard are relatively sweet compared to the sharp bite of sorrel and dandelion greens. Have some carrot tops? Toss a few in.

Taste as you go and start with less seasoning and add in to your liking. A quick flavor lesson - sour brightens, fats satiate, and salty marries the flavors.

Servings: 6-8 Prep Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock

• 1 cup dry white wine

• 2 cups cooked white beans, drained

• 1 large yellow onion peeled and chopped

• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed of woody parts and cut into 1 inch sections

• 2 cups mixed young spring greens and sprouts, rinsed and drained — spinach, chard, sorrel, miner’s lettuce. I set these on a plate at the table and add them into the soup at the time of serving.

• 1/2 cup Italian parsley

• chives and chive blossoms

• olive oil

• salt and pepper to taste

• Parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions

In a large pot, over medium heat cook onions in olive oil until just transparent. Add in broth, and beans bring to a low simmer for 5 minutes, add in asparagus and simmer for another 5 -7 minutes until just tender. Add in salt and pepper to taste. Much of your flavors will come when you add in your greens and chives. Remove from heat and add in your greens. Garnish with chives, parsley, or young sprouts, and Parmesan.

Recipe Notes

Energetics: This soup is light, yet nourishing. Broth is easily absorbed by the body nourishing Qi, Blood, Yang and Yin. The beans are fiber and protein rich, and grounding. The young greens nourish Blood and stimulate Liver and Gallbladder.

Season: Spring, and all