Recipe of the week

Consider this soup a lesson in why every home cook should keep dried mushrooms on hand, said Joe Yonan in The Washington Post. “They can hang out in your pantry for an eternity,” and when finally called upon deliver “the kind of depth and umami that you may have thought possible only through the use of low-and-slow-cooked meat.”

Chickpea, chard, and porcini soup

1 oz dried porcini • 2 tbsp unsalted butter • 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil • 1 small yellow onion, chopped • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped • 14-oz can diced tomatoes, plus their juices • 14-oz can no-salt-added chickpeas, drained and rinsed • 1 sprig rosemary • ½ tsp kosher salt • freshly ground black pepper • 1 bunch Swiss chard,

stemmed and shredded • Parmesan (for shaving)

• Soak porcini in 3 cups hot water for 30 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, reserving soaking water. Rinse mushrooms under cold water, pat dry with a dish towel, and coarsely chop. Strain mushroom soaking liquid through a sieve lined with cheesecloth or paper towels into a bowl. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter into olive oil. Add onion; cook until translucent, about 15 minutes.

Add garlic and cook 1 minute.

Add mushrooms; cook another 2 minutes. • Add tomatoes, chickpeas, rosemary, mushroom liquid, salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer gently until flavors meld, 20 to 30 minutes. Add chard and cook until tender, 5 minutes. Discard rosemary. Add salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into warmed bowls, drizzle with olive oil, and top with shaved Parmesan. Serves 4.