Da Wifes Bean Soup Food

SERIOUSLY GOOD WHITE BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a stockpot pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and the tomato paste. Cook, stirring often until the vegetables have softened and the onions are translucent; 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add the garlic, black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and the red pepper flakes. Cook, while stirring, for one minute.
• Stir in the beans, broth, thyme and the bay leaves. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a boil. Partially cover the pot with a lid, and then reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer.
• Simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add the pasta and cook for 5 minutes more, and then add the spinach or kale and cook until its bright green and tender and the pasta is cooked, about 5 minutes more.
• Take the pot off of the heat and remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Stir in the lemon slices. Taste and season with more salt and pepper. Serve. The lemon slices are not intended to be eaten, but they add a lovely lemon flavor to the soup.

DA WIFE'S BEAN SOUP RECIPE

Steps:

• Soak the beans in water overnight. Drain and rinse. In a stockpot, combine the soaked beans, ham hocks, chicken stock, cilantro and water. Bring to a boil, then simmer until meat and beans are tender, about 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Remove the ham hocks and set aside to cool. When cool enough to touch, extract the meat from the ham hocks, discarding the skin and bones. Shred the meat and return to the stockpot. Slice and fry the Portuguese sausage and blot with paper towels. Add the sausage to the stockpot along with the potatoes, carrots, onions, celery, and tomato puree. Cook until the potatoes are tender. Season with salt and pepper.

BEAN WITH BACON SOUP

Steps:

• Pick through the beans, then rinse and drain them. Put them in a large pot and cover with water by 2 inches. Let soak overnight.
• Drain the beans and return them to the pot. Add the chicken stock and 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
• While the beans are simmering, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Add half the bacon to the beans, reserving the rest for garnish.
• Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease from the skillet and add the carrots, celery and onions. Season with some salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables are just beginning to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste and garlic and cook for another minute, stirring to combine.
• Using a slotted spoon, add the vegetables to the beans. Add the bay leaves and give it a good stir. Taste to check if it needs any additional seasoning. Simmer until the beans are tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• When ready to serve, stir in the tomatoes. Serve with the reserved bacon and chopped parsley.

ROSEMARY WHITE BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, cover the beans with water by at least 1-inch and leave them in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight. Drain.
• In a large stockpot over low to medium heat, saute the onions with the olive oil until the onions are translucent, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook over low heat for 3 more minutes. Add the drained white beans, rosemary, chicken stock, and bay leaf. Cover, bring to a boil, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until the beans are very soft. Remove the rosemary branch and the bay leaf. Pass the soup through the coarsest blade of a food mill, or place in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until coarsely pureed. Return the soup to the pot to reheat and add salt and pepper, to taste. Serve hot.