How to make a White Bean Soup with Bacon and Herbs.
INGREDIENTS: Serves 8-10
- 1 1/4 lb thick sliced bacon
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 Spanish onion
- 1 large carrot
- 2 celery ribs
- 4 clove garlic
- 1 fresh bay leaf
- 2 tsp chopped thyme
- 2 tsp chopped rosemary
- 1 lb Great Northern beans
- 10 cups chicken stock
- Salt
- Freshly ground pepper
DIRECTIONS:
- In a large soup pot, cook the bacon over moderate heat, stirring, until browned and crisp, about 7 minutes.
- Drain, reserving the fat and bacon separately.
- Heat the olive oil in the soup pot.
- Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, and 1 teaspoon each of the chopped thyme and rosemary and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add the drained beans, stock, and 3 tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat and bring to a boil.
- Simmer the soup over moderately low heat until the beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
- Discard the bay leaf and stir in the remaining thyme and rosemary.
- Season the soup with salt and pepper and transfer to shallow bowls.
- Garnish the soup with the bacon and serve.
