SWEET CORN & BEAN SOUP WITH COLLARD GREENS

KARALAHANA ÇORBASI ||| SWEET CORN & BEAN SOUP WITH COLLARD GREENS excerpted from ISTANBUL & BEYOND by Robyn Eckhardt. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved. ||| The main ingredients of this thick, hearty soup from the province’s capital, Rize, on the eastern Black Sea coast, are staple foods of the region. The sweetness of dried corn plays off collard greens’ slight bitterness. You can buy dried sweet corn online. (Do not substitute hominy.) Dried beans must be soaked overnight. If you want an even richer soup you can use beef stock instead of some or all of the water. Like most soups, this one improves with time, so make it ahead if possible. Serve with Griddled Corn Breads.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 8  tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1  large onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 1⁄4 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 1⁄4 cup  plus 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2  teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, Turkish or other, (or more) to taste
• 8  cups water
• 2  cups  dried  sweet corn
• 2  cups dried pinto beans, or borlotti, soaked overnight in water to cover and drained
• 1 1⁄2 lbs  collard greens, washed, rough stems removed, coarsely chopped
•  red pepper flakes, for serving

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and salt and cook until the onion is almost translucent, about 8 minutes.
2. Add the tomato paste and red pepper flakes and sauté until the onions are coated with the paste and begin to wilt, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the water, corn, and drained soaked beans and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and cook, partially covered, at a low simmer until the beans and corn are almost tender, 45 minutes to 1½ hours depending on the age and type of your beans. If necessary add more water ½ cup at a time while the soup cooks.
4. Add the collard greens, bring the soup back to a boil, and then simmer, partially covered, until the greens are tender but not mushy, about 30 minutes. Serve hot, passing red pepper flakes at the table.
5. Recipe courtesy of ISTANBUL & BEYOND by Robyn Eckhardt.
6. Get the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Istanbul-Beyond-Exploring-Diverse-Cuisines/dp/0544444310/.