So good minestrone ..... with fish!

This recipe made the entire house smell wonderful and provided two great lunches. It was also my first time cooking with dried beans. The key is to remember to soak them overnight; other than that, they cook pretty normally! The recipe's title is "Fall Vegetable Minestrone" but I found it worked well even in late August. Try this recipe when you want a bunch of veggies but just can't think of anything new.

Whitefish Fall Vegetable Minestrone
(from the magazine Clean Eating)
serves 4 (in my opinion. I also halved the original recipe)

1 cup white lima beans (soaked over night)
1 1/2 T extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 cup carrots, diced
1 cup yellow onion, diced small
3/4 cup celery, diced small
2 1/2 garlic cloves, sliced
1/4 t dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 T tomato paste
1 cup gewurztraminer wine (I used a white Loire valley wine because i find this particular German wine too sweet for my taste)
1 quart vegetable stock (Swanson's organic vegetable worked fine)
1 t fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup collard greens, julienned
1 t kosher salt
1/8 t fresh ground pepper
2 T parmesano reggiano, grated
1/2 t fresh thyme leaves (for garnish)
about 1 lb of white fish, such as halibut, sole or tilapia

1. Cover lima beans with water and soak overnight, drain.
2. Place a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add oil, carrots, onions and celery to pan. Sweat vegetables until onions are translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme and bay leaf and cook for an additional minute. Ad tomato paste, incorporating well. Deglaze pan with wine and add lima beans. Add stock and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the lima beans are tender.
3. Once the beans are tender, add lemon juice, collard greens, kosher salt and pepper. Set aside on low heat.
4. Season raw fish with salt and pepper on each side. Add oil to medium-size saute pan on high. Once pan is hot, gently place fillets in pan with skin side up. Sear until golden brown and turn. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until the fillets have cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside.
5. Ladle coup and vegetables into serving dish. Place fish fillet on top and finish with grated Parmesan, thyme leaves, and oil.