Sopa Florentina ~ Spinach & Chard Soup

Adapted from Susana Trilling’s “Seasons of My Heart, A Culinary Journey Through Oaxaca, Mexico,” a rich and luxurious - yet humble! - soup featuring farm fresh spinach and chard with pureed garbanzo beans. She serves hers with hard boiled egg on top, we added pulled chicken instead, but it is also delicious just as it is! You can also sub in any combination of seasonal greens or simply use all spinach or all chard.

For Beans:

• 7 Cups Organic Garbanzo Beans - approx 3 Cans (low sodium)

• 2 Lg Garlic Cloves

• ½ Medium Onion

• 2 Quarts Chicken or Veggie Stock

For Soup:

• 4 Lg Cloves Garlic, minced

• ½ Small Onion, diced

• ½ lb Canned Crushed Plum Tomato

• 1 1/2 tsp Dried Mexican Oregano*

• 1 TBSP Cumin Seeds, ground

• 1 tsp Smoked Chili Flakes (opt)

• 3 TBSP Olive or Avocado Oil

• 6 Slices Bacon, cut into thin, short strips

• 1 Lg Bunch Fresh Spinach, large leaves chopped into strips

• 1 Large Bunch Chard chopped into strips & stems thinly sliced

• 1 Cup Parsley, chopped

• 1 TBSP Salt or to taste

Optional Protein Additions:

• Hard Boiled Eggs - Peel and cut into slices and serve individually on top of soup

• Pulled Chicken (from 1 Roast Chicken) - Stir into soup along with Greens

1. In a medium stock pot combine Beans (include liquid, but only low sodium), Garlic and Onion with Stock. Bring to a boil and lower heat to simmer for 1 hour until beans are soft.

2. In a blender combine Garlic, Onion, Tomatoes, Oregano, Cumin & Chili Flakes(opt) with 1 Cup water. Blend and set aside.

3. Heat Olive Oil in a Dutch oven or heavy stock pot over medium high heat. Add Bacon and brown for 5 minutes.

4. Add Chard Stems and cook for 5 more minutes.

5. Add Blender contents and fry for 10 more minutes. You will likely need a splatter guard by this point!

6. Pour the Beans and some cooking liquid (however much will fit) into the Blender and puree until smooth.

7. Add Beans and any remaining cooking liquid into the stock pot, bring up to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. 

8. Stir in Salt, Add Greens and cook for 15 minutes.

9. Stir in Parsley and remove from heat.

** Mexican oregano is known for its earthy flavor with citrus undertones and comes from a flowering plant that is native to Mexico, Central America and the southwest United States. It has nothing in common with “traditional” Oregano other than it’s name! The Oregano found in our traditional herb gardens and spice racks hails from the Mediterranean and has minty undertones so it is not recommended as a substitution. The great news, if you are local, is that you can find it at Spicewalla! It is delicious in all Mexican and Southwestern dishes, including a simple pot of black beans, so it makes for a worthy purchase.