Soup Recipes » Bean Soup » White Bean Soup with Bacon and Herbs

White Bean Soup with Bacon and Herbs

Bacon pieces are sautéed until crisp and set aside. Finely chopped Spanish onion, finely diced carrot, and finely chopped celery are sautéed in olive oil to soften. Minced garlic, bay leaf, chopped fresh thyme, chopped fresh rosemary, great northern beans, chicken stock, coarse salt, and fresh ground black pepper are stirred in. Soup is brought to a boil and then simmered to soften beans and meld flavors. Individual servings are topped with reserved crisp bacon pieces.

Ingredients -

1-1/4 pounds Thick-Sliced Bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips
2 tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Spanish Onion, finely chopped
1 Large Carrot, finely diced
2 Celery Stalks, finely diced
4 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Fresh Bay Leaf
2 teaspoons chopped Thyme
2 teaspoons chopped Rosemary
1 pound Great Northern Beans, soaked overnight and drained
10 cups Chicken Stock
Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Preparation:

1. Brown the bacon until crisp in a large soup pot.

2. Drain the fat, reserving the fat.

3. Add olive oil to the pot along with the onion, carrot and celery.

4. Cook the mixture over medium heat, occasionally stirring, until the vegetables soften, which takes about 8 minutes.

5. Add the garlic, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon thyme and 1 teaspoon of rosemary.

6. Cook until fragrant, which takes about 2 minutes.

7. Add the beans, chicken stock and 3 tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat.

8. Bring the mixture to a boil.

9. Simmer over medium heat until the beans are tender, which takes about 1-1/2 hours.

10. Remove and discard the bay leaf.

11. Stir in the remaining thyme and rosemary.

12. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

13. Transfer the soup to shallow serving bowls.

14. Garnish with bacon and serve.

Soup Making Tips -
Garlic

	Giving garlic soup a Mexican flair is easy with a few additional ingredients. Cook together garlic and onions in a vegetable stock, and then puree it in a blender. Once the mixture is returned to the pot, add cumin seeds and chipotle chili peppers for a little zip, and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in lime juice before serving, and ladle over a piece of avocado and tortilla strips.

Soup Making Tips -
Sweet Onions

	Since sweet onions have a higher moisture content than storage onions, they only last half as long, which equates to around a month. They can be stored in a similar manner as storage onions, in a cool, dry area with ample ventilation, or they can be stored in the refrigerator. Leave the onions unwrapped and store them in the crisper drawer in a single layer on top of paper towels for the best results.

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