Serves: 4
Total Calories: 318
Prep time: 35 minutes
Cook time: 8 hours
Total time: 8 hours 35 minutes

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic sliced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flake
7 1/2 cups cold water divided
1 1/2 cups dry garbanzo beans rinsed
1 pound butternut squash peeled, seeded, adn cut into large pieces
1 bunch swiss chard leaves and stems separated adn roughly chopped
1 piece Parmesan cheese rind, plus grated Parmesan for topping
2 teaspoons kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 slices cooked bacon crumbled
crusty bread for serving
lemon wedges for serving

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and golden brown, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and red pepper flakes and cook 1 minute. Stir in ½ cup of water, scraping up any browned bits. Transfer the contents of the skillet to a 6-quart slow cooker.

Add garbanzo beans, squash, chard stems (not the leaves), Parmesan rind, salt, pepper, and 7 cups water to the slow cooker. Stir, then cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Just before serving, lift cooker lid and stir in the chard leaves and crumbled bacon bits; cover and continue cooking 10 more minutes. Season with more salt and pepper, if desired, and stir to break up the squash. Discard the Parmesan rind. Ladle the soup into bowls; top with the grated Parmesan cheese. Serve with bread and lemon wedges.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 4
Total Calories: 318
Calories from Fat: 150

More Recipes from the The Ultimate Cook'n Cookbook Cookbook:
Black Bean Soup
Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Creamy Chicken Stew
Garden Fresh Tomato Soup
Slow Cooker Squash Soup
Zucchini Cheese Soup