Chard & Cilantro Soup with Noodle Nests

Thursday, June 28, 2012 Submitted by Kerry

Chard & Cilantro Soup with Noodle Nests

After a particularly beneficial trip to the CSA this week, I came home with loads of leafy greens, including a plethora of chard and cilantro. Rather than use it in green smoothies, I dug into the recesses of my brain for a creative recipe. I originally found this delicious soup in an issue of Cuisine at Home magazine that I can no longer seem to locate. So, in my research to locate it's origin, I discovered that this recipe actually came from a fabulous cookbook Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America's Farmers' Markets. The author, Deborah Madison, graciously gave me permission to share it with you and suggested we take a look at another chard soup recipe that she shared over at Culinate.com. For more of her deliciously enticing books, head over to her site and check out her collection.

Chard and Cilantro Soup with Noodle Nests

(Recipe by Deborah Madison in Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America's Farmers' Markets- Reprinted with permission. Serves 4-6)

THE NOODLE NESTS

2 eggs, separated
3 ounces (1 3/4 cups) fresh (not dried) noodles such as fideos or capellini, uncooked
1/3 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
sea salt
peanut oil for frying

Beat the egg whites until they hold firm peaks, then stir in the yolks, noodles, cheese, and cilantro. Season with a few pinches of salt, then really work the mixture with your hands or a wooden spoon so that it's more or less homogeneous. It will look impossibly dry and stiff.
Heat enough oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat to float the noodles, at least 1/3 inch. When it's hot, drop the batter into the oil, dividing it into 4 to 6 portions by eye. Fry until golden, about one minute, then turn and fry the second side, another minute. Set aside on paper towels. These can be made hours ahead of time.

THE SOUP

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 bunches scallions, including an inch or two of the greens, finely chopped
1 celery rib, dices
1 cup finely chopped cilantro stems and leaves, packed
leaves from 1 bunch chard, green or Rainbow, about 6 cups packed
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
6 cups Vegetable Stock, chicken stock, or water
cilantro sprigs for garnish

Warm the oil in a soup pot. Add the scallions and celery and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. After the few minutes, add the cilantro and 1/2 cup water so that the vegetables stew rather than fry. Add the chard leaves, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt, then cover and cook until the chard has wilted down. Add the stock or water.
Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and add the noodle nests to the pot. Simmer until the chard is tender, about 10 minutes. Taste for salt and season with pepper. Ladle the soup into soup plates, include a noodle nest in each bowl, and serve garnished with a sprig of cilantro.

Kim is the wife of one rockin' Worship Pastor, full-time mom to four crazy and beautiful kids, foster mom to one adorable boy and Editorial Manager for ATFM. Toss in another part-time job, housework and what passes for a social life these days and she’s still wondering how she fits 32 hours into a 24 hour day. You can follow Kim’s adoption journey on her newest blog, It’s a Vertical Life.