My mother's rich, soul-warming white bean soup. Very tasty with a faintly smoky flavor, from the bacon, and the creamy richness of good white beans. This recipe is easy to make and loaded with lots of great flavor.
Place beans in a large pot with enough water to cover beans by 2 inches, soak overnight. Drain beans. Using a large saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Saute onion, leek, tomato, carrots, celery, garlic and bacon, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender, about 6 minutes. Add beans, vegetable stock and thyme. Bring soup to boil, reduce heat to medium low. Cover and simmer until beans are tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.
Using a blender or a food processor fitted with a blade attachment, working in batches, puree soup until smooth. Return soup to pot. Add cream and if needed, additional stock to thin soup. Season with salt and pepper.
If you have one, use a hand immersion blender to puree the soup right in the cooking pot--no mess, no fuss! (I love my Kitchen-Aid Hand Blender)
A bowl of this soup, a nice green salad, and a loaf of warm homemade bread, make a well-rounded meal. If you're serving people who must have meat every time they eat, a plate of nice hearty sausages (such as bratwurst or kielbasa) could be grilled or pan-fried and served along with the soup. Or thickly slice the sausages on a diagonal and set several slices right on top of each bowl of soup.
To make it a celebration of spring. For those fortunate enough to have access to the first vegetables of the season, you might consider making this recipe using half the beans and twice the number of vegetables--all baby versions. Only pureeing about 1/3 of it, so that the chunks of individual vegetables remained more visible, absolutely splendid!
The soup keeps well, refrigerated, for up to three days. It tends to thicken further upon resting, so you may want to stir in some additional liquid when you reheat it.
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Serving Size: 1 Serving (183g) | ||
Recipe Makes: 8 Servings | ||
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Calories: 329 | ||
Calories from Fat: 101 (31%) | ||
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Amt Per Serving | % DV | |
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Total Fat 11.2g | 15 % | |
Saturated Fat 4.2g | 21 % | |
Monounsaturated Fat 4.6g | ||
Polyunsanturated Fat 1.3g | ||
Cholesterol 19.8mg | 6 % | |
Sodium 154.6mg | 5 % | |
Potassium 1025.9mg | 27 % | |
Total Carbohydrate 43.9g | 13 % | |
Dietary Fiber 12.8g | 51 % | |
Sugars, other 31g | ||
Protein 15.2g | 22 % | |
Powered by: USDA Nutrition Database Disclaimer: Nutrition facts are derived from linked ingredients (shown at left in colored bullets) and may or may not be complete. Always consult a licensed nutritionist or doctor if you have a nutrition-related medical condition. |
Calories per serving: 329
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