Brothy white beans with tender chard

Drain and rinse the white beans. Set aside.

Separate the chard stems from the leaves. Dice the stems finely and roughly tear the leaves. Wash everything well under cold water.

Peel and finely dice the yellow onion. Peel and crush the garlic cloves with the flat of your knife.

Roughly chop the parsley leaves, discarding the tough stems.

Warm the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the diced onion and a pinch of salt.

Cook gently for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent but not browned.

Add the crushed garlic and stir for another minute, until fragrant and golden at the edges.

Pour in the water and add the drained white beans. Stir well to combine.

Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to a steady simmer. Cook uncovered for 20 minutes, allowing the broth to develop flavor and the beans to begin softening.

Add the diced chard stems to the pot. Stir them into the beans and broth.

Continue simmering for another 8 minutes until the stems are tender and yielding when pressed with a spoon.

Add the torn chard leaves in handfuls, stirring each batch in as it wilts down into the broth. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes more until the leaves are completely tender and silky.

Taste the broth and adjust seasoning with more salt if needed.

Ladle into deep bowls, making sure each portion has plenty of beans, chard, and broth.

Finish each bowl with a small drizzle of your best olive oil and a scatter of chopped parsley.