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Everyone’s really into cleanses lately. Mostly of the juice variety, although some are doing the Whole30 and others are merely (ha) giving up sugar for a period of time.

(Don’t you like the flippancy with which I use the word “merely” as if it were something I could do with my eyes closed. When really it’s something I could do not.at.all.ever. Yeah.)

They sound almost like the kind of thing I’d be into except…they are freakin’ expensive! Truth be told, I’d rather buy a whole lot of cheese for the same amount of money. Which is perhaps part of the problem. But whatever.

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When I saw this soup in the last year’s January issue of Bon Appetit I thought YES – DIY cleanse food! On the cheap!

WIN.

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But then I also thought, hmm I should pair this with beer-infused biscuits.

Because…apparently cleansing-according-to-moi includes butter. And lots of it.

Now all of a sudden I see why people spend an arm and a leg and a first-born child on these prepared programs. There’s far less room for subjectivity. Or user error. Or your deep-seated love of butter to intervene.

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So they may have some kind of actual health advantage. But I think we can all concede my biscuit-and-soup version is much more fun.

Besides. All that swiss chard has to count for something right?

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One year ago…Vegetable and Rice Burritos with Quesadilla Cheese 
Three years ago…New York Cheesecake with Strawberry Rhubarb Topping 
Four years ago…Curry Pumpkin Hummus 
 
Herb, Chard and Feta Soup
Serves 4, adapted from Bon Appetit January 2012

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 lb swiss chard leaves, coarsely chopped
  • 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 5 oz nonfat Greek yogurt
  • 4 oz feta, crumbled and divided

Instructions

  1. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 7-8 minutes. Stir in the swiss chard, broth, parsley, cilantro, mint and nutmeg. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer until chard is tender, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Using an immersion blender or a regular blender, puree the soup.
  2. Place 1/3 of the yogurt in a medium bowl. Add 1/2 cup of the warm soup and mix until blended. Repeat two times with remaining yogurt and 1 cup soup. Whisk the yogurt mixture into the soup. Stir half of the feta into the soup. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Serve garnished with remaining feta.

Beer Biscuits
Makes 12, adapted from How Sweet It Is 

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 1/4 cups beer

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Using a fork, pastry, blender or your fingers, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse sand. Make a well in the middle and pour in the beer. Stir with a large spoon until just combined.
  3. Pat the dough into a circle that is about 1 1/2 inches thick. Using a biscuit cutter, cut the dough into rounds and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Re-pat the dough as needed until it is all used up. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden on top.
  4.  I froze most of the unbaked biscuits since I wasn’t going to eat them all in one sitting. They will cook up just fine, straight from the freezer, in the same amount of time as the unfrozen ones.

I am submitting this to I Heart Cooking Clubs and also to Souper Sunday!

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You are reading this post on Eats Well With Others at https://joanne-eatswellwithothers.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author and or owner of Eats Well With Others. All rights reserved by Joanne Bruno.
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84 Responses to Herb, Chard, and Feta Soup with Beer Biscuits

  1. You had me at beer biscuit – yum!! I’ve been doing a modified version of Whole30 for a few months and I thought for sure my grocery bill was going to skyrocket, but it actually hasn’t been all that bad.

  2. I’ve done the no sugar thing and even no-sweeteners at all and thought it was a good thing… and fruit is definitely back in my life right now. 🙂 But I think I’d lose all respect if you did a juice cleanse, Joanne… because you.are.a.doctor (almost). Soups like this are great, though! Yum! 🙂

  3. Such a lovely bowl of soup! And ANYTHING baked with beer I cannot resist. Awesome 🙂

  4. I can’t believe how expensive some of those cleanses are either! But, some people aren’t gifted in the kitchen, so I guess it’s necessary.
    Sometimes I think that anyone can cook. And then, I go to a friends house for dinner and see them struggle to make mashed potatoes, and I’m taken back. I’m so glad you’re good at biscuits xo

  5. I’ve been on a whole foods, unprocessed foods ‘kick’ for awhile. But I’ve never understood the appeal of juicing, given how you are pretty much consuming 400-1000 calories of liquified sugar (yes, organic fruit does have sugar) and nothing else. It’s much less painful just to eat in a healthy, moderate fashion on a day-to-day basis.

  6. The soup looks amazing and I’m salivating over the biscuits. This is a fabulous meal, Joanne!

  7. london bakes says:

    I like your idea of balance. I can’t imagine ever doing a cleanse, let alone of of those juice cleanses. I can’t even eat a bowl of soup for lunch without needing something to soak up all that liquid!

  8. Beer biscuits. They sound delish! I recently did a cleanse, my first ever. I would rather have a beer biscuit 🙂

  9. I am all for this kind of balance! Anything to keep biscuits in my life (especially boozy ones :))

  10. SallyBR says:

    You definitely don’t want to get me started on my pet peeve number 1, the detox and cleansing diets…

    People can be so gullible! If you try to bring scientific evidence into it (basically NONE), they will say “but I feel sooooo much better, you should try it too and you will see”. Right. Whatever.

    sorry, I got carried away. The soup looks great, although I doubt my beloved would be looking forward to a bowl… ;-0)

  11. Claudia says:

    Yeah … I do green soups all winter… and then search for bread! A beer biscuit like this would keep me sane.

  12. Jessie says:

    Even though the chard and feta soup is the star of this culinary show, I couldn’t have it without the beer biscuits. And why skip a little bit of something so delicious? I’m with you on allocating funds – I’d go with cheese all the way 😉

  13. Those biscuits have me all kinds of excited. YUM! I’ve never done a cleanse before, but mostly because I like eating…like this soup for instance.

  14. Stacy says:

    All that Swiss chard? Totally counts for a lot. I love this soup and those biscuits are just fluffy and beautiful. All they need is an extra pat of butter when they are cut. 🙂

  15. I think the soup cancels out the biscuits. This looks great!

  16. this definitely sounds like a meal that would please two of us in our house 🙂 pinned!

  17. Sarah says:

    what an intensely green soup! i love it!!

  18. That soup sounds sooo tasty, I need it make it soon! I’m with you on the cleanses– way too much money! oh.. and I definitely don’t have the willpower for them.

    Those biscuits look amazing, too. I’m just going to lick the screen and pretend I can eat them right now 🙂

  19. Pam says:

    I like your kind of cleansing! The soup & biscuits look delicious.

  20. Amy says:

    The no snacks for 30 days pretty much proved to me that I cannot do another cleanse. Not because I’m incapable. But because it made me unbearable to live with. Nice job on those soup pictures!!

  21. Tandy says:

    Beer biscuits are the decider! No.cleansing.ever. Great recipe Joanne 🙂

  22. Your beer biscuits look SO perfect for dunking into this warm, hearty and delicious soup!

  23. Dixya says:

    i love your idea of cleansing – looking at all the hype, I tried to do fruits and veggie only diet, lasted 2 days and absolutely hated it. Anyways beer biscuits and this soup sounds like a great idea 🙂

  24. Beth says:

    The soup sounds delicious, but the biscuits take it over the top!

  25. Ashley Bee says:

    I did a homemade cleanse of cranberry juice, flax seed, and water–a liter a day on an empty stomach, then eat normally. Did nothing. Oh well.

    You need beer biscuits because the soup is begging for something to sop up the soupy bits with. And beer biscuits are perfect for that!

  26. Gwen says:

    The chard totally cancels out the beer biscuits 😉 nothing at all wrong w a home made beer biscuit now and then! Cleanse smeanse

  27. sandra says:

    That soup is so beautiful.

    I know what you mean about cutting sugar from your diet – I wasn’t able to – not sure why I thought I could… and I’ve been curious about the cleanses that are floating around. I even tried one once but my sweat began to taste bitter and I worried that toxins were being emitted through my body (not sure why) and stopped. Add to that the light-headedness and general hunger and I had to stop.

  28. Ashley says:

    Hehe I love your skills of rationalization. I think an all-cheese-and-butter-and-sugar cleanse sounds pretty awesome and i.am.so.in. Ha!

  29. I love your idea of a cleanse! Sounds just like what I would do. 🙂

  30. I much prefer your cleansing diet than the others circling around.:) What a fantastic soup, and beer biscuits? Wow that’s just awesome! Thanks for sharing:)

  31. marie says:

    Seriously! What is the deal with all of my friends juicing?! I see it on instagram all the time. I mean I like smoothies as much as the next person but I need to chew my food. And have carbs. You know I am not eating cheese right now, but I am trying really hard not to miss it. There is no substitute for cheese.

  32. Eileen says:

    Making a delicious soup out of chard sounds exactly right for spring! Especially since you can punch it up with pungent feta and tangy yogurt. A perfect combination!

  33. Sara says:

    That soup looks amazing! Totally gorgeous…and with those biscuits on the side…heaven! 🙂

  34. I don’t think I could give up sugar either. But, I like the balance of this soup and the biscuits. I can do that!

  35. I would buy cheese too! The biscuits and soup do pair well together. The pictures are wonderful too!

  36. a.) eff juice cleanses. I could never, nor do I want to ever do one. I like chewing my food, thanks.
    b.) I want those biscuits. Melting in my mouth. This very second.
    c.) The soup looks good, too.
    d.) But the BISCUITS!!…

  37. Like the soup, a lot; the idea of a cleanse always sounded distasteful; I mean eating is pleasure and obsessing over cleanising one’s body is not that pleasant. Your photos are beautiful.

  38. Guru Uru says:

    I’m with you cleansing for a month or something is beyond me 😛
    But eating this soup with these biscuits isn’t! 🙂

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

  39. That soup is gorgeous Joanne! I am 2 weeks into a Whole30 and while I do feel pretty amazing, I am not going to say that I don’t miss me some chocolate and wine 😉

  40. What a lovely soup! It seems so vibrant and healthy – perfect for spring!

  41. Monet says:

    Smile. I’m all about the biscuits. I think you made a great choice pairing the soup with them. And goodness, how delicious AND healthy does this soup sound? Thank you so much for sharing Joanne!

  42. Dining Alone says:

    Those biscuits look awesome, but so does the soup! I would love to have both for dinner 🙂

  43. Kim says:

    Those beer biscuits look seriously flaky and delicious. I’m guessing all the yeast and carbonation in the beer help to create lots of flaky layers.

    Having some kind of bread with your soup seems like a necessity, doesn’t it? Especially if your soup is as virtuous as this one. That soup looks so welcoming with the feta sprinkled on top.

  44. I’m one of the weirdos that LOVES green food and finished recipes! Just love this soup and those biscuits are perfectly flaky! Great fresh spring recipe!

  45. Jeanette says:

    Wow, those beer biscuits look incredibly light and fluffy! Love the idea of some feta on top of this beautifully green soup.

  46. Obviously the sole purpose of a healthy soup like this is to be able to “balance” it out with beer biscuits! Man, those look good…so fluffy 🙂

  47. I could never do a cleanse…I definitely like bread (and butter) to much! I always need something to dunk into soup and these biscuits sound perfect.

  48. I just got home from a long day of farming and this recipe is totally calling my name. I’m not one to jump on a food cleanse but soup like this is totally fine by me! yum!

  49. bellini says:

    Biscuits, chard, feta cheese….swoon.

  50. That Girl says:

    I don’t really buy into cleanses. But I definitely buy into soups.

  51. Love the idea of a healthy soup! I really dig that beer biscuit though so I guess I’m not as healthy. This sounds like a delicious meal. Lovely post.

  52. Annie Patz says:

    This soup looks so light and refreshing! And…I mean..why shouldn’t cheese be part of a cleanse? Ya gotta have your dairy right? And you might as well throw some delicious biscuits in the mix too.

  53. Your biscuits look gorgeous and have left me craving some flaky biscuit layers as soon as possible.

  54. Kari says:

    Butter beer – you know how to cleanse 😉 This soup does sound nutrition packed and given I’m not in to purchased commercial ‘cleanses’, it all looks great to me!

  55. The soup looks super! Love these buttery beer biscuits.

  56. And dudeeeee I love soups (weight watching et all , ha!) – I actually have one in the works to post in a few weeks. Gotta love that beer crumb biscuit.Yum-o!

  57. This is an outstanding soup! I LOVE the ingredients, lovely herbs and yogurt too – perfect. The biscuits are the crowning glory!
    Mary x

  58. Now this is my kind of cleanse. 🙂 What a delicious sounding meal.

  59. Those biscuits are making me crazy! I love this meal.

  60. teresa says:

    i have mixed feelings about cleanses. i think i’d rather just alter my lifestyle so that overall i was eating cleaner. of course, i’m not doing it right now, so maybe a cleanse would be a good kickstart!

    LOVE the soup, especially those pieces of feta in there, so delicious. and i agree that beer infused biscuits is the perfect mate!

  61. Those biscuits sounds incredible..and I love the sprinkle of cheese swimming on top of that lush green soup…YUM!

  62. Catherine says:

    Dear Joanne, A beautiful soup and one can never go wrong with a delicious biscuit. Blessings dear. Catherine xo

  63. Cathleen says:

    Oh yum! This looks fantastic!
    I also think the soup cancels out the butter for a total win on this dish 🙂

  64. Amy says:

    I love this Herb, Chard and Feta Soup! Looks so vibrant. I don’t usually do juicing…..simply because I don’t have a juicer, yet. So, soup would be my top choice as “cleanses”. And just like you, I can’t go without my sugar. 🙂

  65. I am so excited about this soup, Joanne, for I have LASHINGS of Swiss Chard growing in my winter garden. 🙂 I can’t give up sugar either. Limit it? Sure. But eliminate? No way! 🙂

  66. Blond Duck says:

    Those beer biscuits sound great!

  67. looks great tasty way to eat your greens 😉

  68. What a beautiful meal! The beer biscuits looks so perfect together with the herb chard soup!

  69. Johanna GGG says:

    this is definitely my idea of a cleanse – where do I sign up 🙂 I even have a big bunch of chard in the fridge that is probably bought exactly for a cleanse (well probably not)

  70. Revathi says:

    Healthy and yummy one…and so flaky biscuits

  71. Well, you know I’m right there with you on spending my money on cheese instead! But pass me a big ol’ bowl of this. And three biscuits. YUM.

  72. Hotly Spiced says:

    I love the look of the soup but I’m intrigued by the beer biscuits – that’s a new one for me. Must try these xx

  73. Joanne you are killing me. Anything with swiss chard I will eat and this soup looks amazing!! Love it girl!

  74. Hey kiddo, I’m with you – a soup can be as ‘cleansing’ as it wishes, but it just isn’t a complete lunch without buttery biscuits or copious crackers! Period. Peace. This green number looks pretty tasty!

  75. You had me at beer biscuits. With a now (over)due child in my belly, I cannot shake the thought of a good brew and am totally craving baked goods too!

  76. I am still thinking about this soup from when I made it a few weeks ago–the herbs and feta combined were so good in it. 😉 I like the beer biscuits–it is all about balance! Thanks for sharing it with Souper Sundays this week too.

  77. Reeni Pisano says:

    I am loving all the herbs in this soup! A flavor explosion. I imagine dipping those buttery biscuits into it is near close to heaven!

  78. Kevin Lynch says:

    That is one tasty and healthy looking soup!

  79. This kind of cleanse definitely appeals to me, on both the budgetary and flavour fronts. Gorgeous soup, and loving those biscuits (we call them scones down here) 🙂

  80. Nutmeg Nanny says:

    Oh goodness, this soup looks wonderful and inviting 🙂 and those beer biscuits are perfect!

  81. Laura says:

    Holy cow you made me laugh. And yeah I am taking your cleanse any day over the real (ugh) deal.

  82. […] chili season means my favorite carbs to use as a sopper-upper! Biscuits, beer bread, and corn […]

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