Leftovers, take 2: Brisket-inspired white bean and chard soup.

I'm on a roll: two days of delicious dishes born from the ashes of dinners past! I'm not going to let my miserable stats on yesterday's chiles rellenos keep me from sharing another recipe. Pffft.

We made a delicious brisket this weekend for family dinner. Recipe here, if you're a Cook's Illustrated subscriber. The long and short of it is, the great beast roasts in the oven with an assortment of aromatics and veggies that are only all the more delicious post-roast. Sir skimmed off the fat in the roasting liquid and piled the remaining veg in the blender to make a puree-style pan sauce. There was plenty left over, all tomato-y and rich - what a phenomenal base, I thought, for a soup!

Brisket-inspired White Bean and Chard Soup
15 oz cannellini beans (or other white bean of your choosing), drained and rinsed
4+ cups fresh swiss chard, chopped
1 yellow onion, diced
1 cup carrot, diced
4-5 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup leftover briskety goodness
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Drizzle the olive oil into a sizeable pot or saucepan, at about medium to medium-high heat - I used a big spaghetti pot and it worked out just fine. You're going to want something with a lid. When the oil runs like water, add the onion and garlic, stirring until the onion is translucent and the garlic smells like heaven. Add the carrot and a pinch of salt, stirring occasionally for another 5-10 minutes. Add the broth and chard and cover, stirring every few minutes until the chard has wilted down considerably. Finally, add the beans and brisket sauce and simmer on low until beans are heated thoroughly, about 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, or let sit covered over low heat for however long you want, really - I think mine was sitting for at least an hour. Rice or pasta or a hunk of bread would go nicely with this rich brothy goodness.

Result: Amazingly delicious, filling, stick-to-your-ribs (and healthy!) comfort food in soup form. If you don't have any brisket sauce, add a can of diced tomatoes, some tomato paste and a chunk of parmesan. Done.

Also, gluten-free! Isn't gluten-free cooking easy? Not to mention tasty.

Obligatory cat photo: No, chair. Not right now.

Photo credits: Clay Parker Jones