Join KindChef Vered Guttman to make an Israeli Swiss Chard and Chickpea Soup. After completing your soup, freeze and label it for donation, then drop off at one of our participating food assistance providers, with a person or family that is in your heart, or anyplace that you prefer, when convenient. Finally, report on where you shared your KindSoup and spread the word: Post a picture or two of you and your soups on social media with #DoKindWorks and tag us @DoKindWorks.
For more recipes from Chef Vered, follow Vered on Instagram or go to veredguttman.com.
Israeli Swiss Chard and Chickpea Soup
Ingredients
For the beef broth:
- 6 medium leeks (13 oz.), white and light green parts only, split lengthwise, rinsed well, and thinly sliced
- 4 lbs stew meat or beef chuck, cut to ¾ inch cubes
- 1 onion, peeled and halved
- 3 carrots, peels and halved
- 4 celery stalks, halved
- 1 bunch Italian parsley
- Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder or grated turmeric root
For a vegan version:
- 4 lbs Firm tofu, pressed and cut to ½ inch cubes
- 1 quart vegetable broth
For the soup:
- 20 Swiss chard leaves (about 3 bunches)
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 yellow onions, diced
- 4 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 4 celery stalks, thinly sliced
- 2 celery roots (optional) peeled and diced to ½ inch
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 8 minced garlic cloves
- 6 potatoes, peeled and cut to ½ inch cubes
- 4 cans (14 oz each) chickpea, washed in cold water
- 1 bunch cilantro, chopped (optional)
Instructions for meaty soup
- The day before (or a couple of hours before) put cubed meat in a pot together with onion, carrots, celery and parsley. Cover with 1 quart (16 cups) of water at room temperature and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Once water boils, skim the foam that accumulates at the top, add 1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt and 1 teaspoon turmeric, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for a couple of hours, until the meat is very tender.
- Once the meat is ready, let it cool down. Discard (or eat!) all the veggies but keep the meat in the broth. Transfer pot to the fridge for the night.
- Remove the fat from the top of the pot and bring it back to boil.
- Remove chard green parts from the stems. Slice the stems and keep in a bowl. Slice the greens to ½ inch strips, keep aside.
- Put oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add sliced chard stems, onions, carrots, celery and celery root and sauté for 6 minutes until just tender. Add tomato paste and cook while stirring for another minute.
- Add the broth and meat that you cooked the day before. Add lemon juice, minced garlic and diced potatoes and bring to boil. Add chickpeas and continue to cook for 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
- Add salt to taste. Add chopped cilantro and remove from heat.
- The soup will keep in the fridge up to 4 days.
Instructions for vegan soup
- Remove chard green parts from the stems. Slice the stems and keep in a small bowl. Slice the greens to ½ inch strips, keep aside.
- Put oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add sliced chard stems, onion, carrots, celery and celery root and sauté for 6 minutes until just tender. Add tomato paste and cook while stirring for another minute.
- Add the vegetable broth, lemon juice, minced garlic, diced potatoes and 3 teaspoons salt and bring to boil. Add chickpeas and continue to cook for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
- Add diced tofu and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add salt to taste. Add chopped cilantro and remove from heat.
- The soup will keep in the fridge up to 4 days.
Health and Safety Information
In order to protect the the quality of our KindSoup program, we ask that volunteers conscientiously observe the following guidelines:
- Start with clean hands and wash again frequently as needed throughout the cooking process.
- Start with clean kitchen surfaces and utensils (antibacterial wipes do a great job).
- Keep longer hair tied back.
- Follow other common sense procedures, such as never returning a tasting spoon to the pot!
Thank you for maintaining a high cleanliness standard for our KindSoup donations!
How to Donate Your KindSoup
Seal containers with a tight lid and freeze. Label each container with: date prepared, your first name and last initial, “Israeli Swiss Chard and Chickpea Soup”. When convenient, drop containers of frozen soup off at one of the following participating food assistance providers, with a person or family that is in your heart, or a place that you prefer.
- 5171 Manning Place NW (in the Palisades neighborhood in DC). NOTE: Soups dropped here must be vegetarian or Halal only, please.
- Here2Help @ Bethesda Presbyterian Church, 7611 Clarendon Road, Bethesda. (Go down driveway next to brick house just before the church on Clarendon and look for coolers labeled for soup donations). Drop off Sundays, 9:30 am-12 noon.
- Homes Not Borders 3610 East St., Landover. Drop off daily 10 am-2 pm. NOTE: Soups dropped here must be vegetarian or Halal only, as they will be shared with newly arriving refugee families in the area.
- Rainbow Community Development Center 12120 Tech Road, Silver Spring (this takes you to the rear parking lot and loading dock – there is usually a large RAINBOW truck parked here): Drop-off Monday-Friday 10am-1pm – BUT FIRST text or call Anna at 240-852-4184 or 301-852-4184 to confirm that someone will be there and tell her you are dropping off KindSoup.
- Upcounty Consolidation Hub 12900 Middlebrook Rd., Germantown (supporting 1,000 families with food and other supports). Drop off Tuesdays, Thursdays, or Fridays 9-11 am.
- Embry Rucker Shelter 11975 Bowman Towne Drive, Reston, 703-437-1975. Leave donations on the table around the back. Drop off anytime!
- NYC Community Fridges located throughout New York City.
- Bread and Roses 58 Newbury St., Lawrence, Mass., 978-681-8768. Drop off Mondays-Thursdays, 10 am-4 pm.
- The Bristol Lodge 27 Lexington St., Waltham, Mass., 781-893-0108. Drop off Mondays-Fridays, 9am-6pm.
- Community Refrigerators located in Los Angeles
See you in the KindSoup kitchen!
Learn more about this KindWorks program
