How To make Chiorba: Greens and Beans Soup (Spieler)

VEGETABLE SOUP:

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 pound leeks; white only

cut
into long thin strips :

rinsed and dried 1 small onion

chopped
1/2 carrot :

chopped
4 garlic cloves

chopped
1/3 pound savoy cabbage :

or a mixture
seasonal cooking greens

thinly sliced or shredded 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
3 ripe tomatoes :

chopped
1 teaspoon red harissa paste
6 1/3 cups vegetable broth

approximately
15 ounces canned borlotti beans :

drained
or substitute pinto or a red bean

ADDITIONS:

2/3 cup plain yogurt
1/2 lemon

for the juice
1 pinch paprika :

for color
salt and black pepper -- to taste
1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet and saute the leeks and onion for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add carrot and garlic.
Cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the greens, coriander and tomatoes, cover and cook for 2 minutes.
2. Stir in the red harissa paste (see variation), broth and beans. Cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the greens are tender.
3. Combine yogurt and lemon juice. Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the yogurt mixture. Season to taste. Serve immediately in large shallow bowls, sprinkled with paprika. Good with warm pita bread.
[Per serving: 313 calories; 2g fiber, 34g carbs; 13g fat; 15g protein]
VARIATIONS. *Lowfat: use less or no oil to soften the onions. Switch to a lowfat plain yogurt then reduce the lemon juice to taste. *Use parsnip, sweet potato, or pumpkin squash instead of carrot. *TESTED with red kidney beans and spinach, we used a Herbed Harissa instead of the red; mixed it with the yogurt and added at table.
TIP: If you make extra soup, do not add yogurt to the reserve. Yogurt should not be heated, only warmed by the soup.
PANtrY RECIPES: *Harissa is a chili pepper sauce with many variations: we offer two. See the recipes: Harissa: Red Chile Paste (BBC) and Harissa with Cilantro and Mint.
[The Kitchen Path http://home.earthlink.net/~kitpath 08/23/98(Sun)]