Tuscany White Beans with Fresh Swiss Chard and Rice

I like to make soups and stews using white beans.
They give soup a creamy and earthy tasting texture.
This brothy dish isn’t quite brothy enough
to qualify as a soup, it’s more of a filling stew.
I like to combine beans and greens,
this time I threw in some white rice,
which makes the dish all the more comforting.

Ingredients:
3/4 pound Swiss chard (1 small bunch)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 to 4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 pound (1 1/8 cups) white beans, washed and picked over
1 bay leaf
1 Parmesan rind (optional but recommended)
Salt to taste
1 cup long grain rice
Freshly ground pepper
A few drops of fresh lemon juice (optional)

Directions:
Stem the Swiss chard, and wash both the stems and the leaves
in at least two changes of water until thoroughly clean.
Dice the stems if they’re wide, and set aside.
Stack the leaves and cut in wide ribbons or chop coarsely.
Set aside separately from the stems.
Heat the oil in a large, heavy soup pot
or Dutch oven over medium heat,
and add the onion and diced chard stems.
Cook until the onion softens, about five minutes.
Add half the garlic, and stir together
for 30 seconds to a minute until fragrant.
Add the beans, bay leaf, Parmesan rind and 2 quarts water.
Bring to a gentle boil, reduce the heat and simmer one hour.
Add the remaining garlic and salt to taste, and simmer
for another 30 minutes to an hour until the beans are tender.
Add the rice and pepper,
and simmer 15 minutes until the rice is tender.
Stir in the chard leaves,
and simmer another five to 10 minutes
until the chard is tender but still bright.
The mixture should be soupy but thick.
Season to taste with salt and fresh black pepper.
Squeeze on some fresh lemon juice and serve in wide soup bowls.