Swiss Chard and Lemon Soup

After all the gluttony of the past month in the form of lots of highly caloric holiday food and almost no clocked gym time, I figured I was due for a healthful soup stocked with tons of dark, leafy greens. It's my form of detox--I don't really believe in juice fasts or extreme dieting. Instead, I prefer to simply make myself good, lean meals and subsist on them for as long as it takes me to feel better, lighter, and more like myself (instead of the puffy-cheeked version of myself that usually appears around the end of December).

I first made this soup for lunch at my boyfriend's apartment about a month ago, and we both loved it. It felt good to sip down such a good mix of superfoods--chicken broth, a whole sheaf of Swiss chard, lemons, and not much else. And like most soups, this was very, very easy to throw together. xo

Swiss Chard and Lemon Soup
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons good extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bunches Swiss chard or kale, stems and leaves chopped separately
Rind of 1/2 preserved lemon, minced
Salt and pepper
5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup cooked pasta (use any kind you like)

Directions:
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 10 minutes. Add the chard stems and preserved lemon, cover and continue cooking for about 10 minutes.

Add the Swiss chard leaves, season with salt and pepper, cover, and continue cooking until the leaves have wilted, about 10 minutes. Add the broth, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Add the past and serve with an extra drizzle or your best olive oil.