Corsican Bean Soup with Greens

This Corsican bean soup with greens is a hearty and flavorful soup that combines tender white beans, potatoes, chard, cabbage, and smoky pork in a delicious and nutrient-rich broth. 

I’ve been craving a hearty and flavorful veggie-loaded soup, so when I stumbled upon this tasty Corsican bean soup with greens recipe on Food and Wine, I knew I had to make it. I halved their recipe and adapted a few ingredients to use what I had in the refrigerator. The soup smelled amazing while it simmered, and we all thought it was hearty, comforting, and delicious, and paired nicely with a loaded garden salad and some crusty bread.

Corsican Bean Soup with Greens

Ingredients:

• 8 oz dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight
• 1 bouquet garni (1 bay leaf, 2 thyme sprigs, and 2 parsley sprigs, tied together with kitchen twine)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ½ green cabbage, cored and chopped
• 2 medium (or 4 small) russet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 cups green Swiss chard, stems removed & chopped
• 1 large (or 2 small leeks), white parts only, chopped
• 3 small carrots, peeled and chopped
• ¼ yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, sliced thinly
• 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder
• Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• 8 cups of chicken broth
• 1 (15-oz) can of whole tomatoes, drained, slightly crushed by hand
• 1 small ham hock and/or 8 slices of bacon, cooked & crumbled    *** You can also use a small ham bone and pork shoulder, cut into chunks

How to make Corsican Bean Soup with Greens

Place the beans in a large bowl; add cold water to cover. Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and let it soak for 8 hours or overnight.

Drain the beans, place them in a large saucepan, and cover with 2 inches of water. Add the bouquet garni and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes; drain, reserving the bouquet garni.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the cabbage, potatoes, chard, leeks, carrots, onion, garlic, chicken bullion, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper to taste. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables are wilted, about 10 minutes.

Add 8 cups of chicken or vegetable broth along with the drained beans, crushed whole tomatoes, cooked bacon crumbles (or ham hock or pork shoulder), and reserved bouquet garni.

Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer, stirring occasionally, until beans and vegetables are very tender, about 2 hours.

Remove and discard the bouquet garni.

Remove and chop the meat from the ham hock before discarding the bone. Taste the soup and re-season if needed.

Ladle the soup into bowls and serve. Enjoy.