Warming soup of white beans and chard

Chard and White Bean Soup

Since I work around food all day, the last thing I want to do when I go home at night is whip up a cassoulet or lasagna from scratch. That's why this simple, Italian-style soup of greens and beans has become a weeknight staple at my house. I keep a bunch of greens, a few cans of beans, a wedge of parmesan, and some chicken broth on hand for it.

It's easy to vary the soup with different kinds of beans or greens (though some, such as kale, require longer cooking). It's a minimalist autumn dinner that leaves me free to spend the rest of the evening out of the kitchen.