A Bowl Full of Soul
February 5, 2004

Making soup is a lot like playing jazz, you begin with a few standards and pretty soon you can’t keep track of the improvisations.  Jazz is America's only original living art form, it is expressive and it is enriching, and so it was with tonight’s soup.  It began with the standard French mirepiox of onion, celery, carrot and garlic, and before long, we were eating a bowl full of soul: Santa Fe White Bean Soup.  I found some fennel, a sexy cousin to celery, in the crisper along with a bit of corn and some fresh salsa that was sitting next to the leftover grilled chicken, and we started to jam- all the way to Santa Fe.  (I only picked that name because it is a sunny and divine place to be- the cabin fever blues at a fever pitch just now). 

The stock was easy: I sautéed the mirepoix and fennel in a little butter for 15 minutes, then deglazed with a splash or two of sherry.  I added a can of diced Tuttorosso brand tomatoes, along with the chicken stock, a couple of cans of rinsed cannellini beans, corn, salsa and chicken.  Pro tip: place 1/3 of the soup into a large food processor, let it cool a bit, then pulse the mixture gently until almost processed, you know the beat.  Return it to the pot and adjust for seasoning with kosher salt and pepper. 

Now, here is where we really got to the swing: just before serving, I placed a large handful of chopped fresh spinach, parsley, and fennel foliage into the pot and let it wilt slightly.  It’s a beautiful thing to see: that steaming soup in the bowl, the gorgeous colors, textures and flavors, and that cool mound of shredded Asiago cheese on top, all coming together to make beautiful music for the mouth.   Dig in, man, it’s hot!

Santa Fe White Bean Soup Shopping List:
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 4 ribs of celery, chopped
- 4 carrots, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 ribs fresh fennel, chopped
- 1 can corn, drained
- 8 ounces fresh medium salsa
- 2 cups cooked chicken, cubed (optional)
- 1-16 ounce can of diced tomatoes
- 4 cups of chicken stock
- 2 cans of cannellini beans, drained
- 2 cups fresh spinach, parsley and fennel foliage, chopped
- 1 cup shredded Asiago or parmesan cheese

Serves 8. 

Kim Dannies is a graduate of La Varenne Cooking School in France. She lives in Williston, VT with her husband, Jeff, and three college–aged daughters who come and go. ©2008