Bean and bacon soup
- Preparation and cooking time
- Total time
- More effort
- Serves 6
Ingredients
- 8 rashers streaky bacon
- 1 onion
- 2 medium carrots
- 1 leek
- 1 clove garlic
- Splash of cider vinegar (optional)
- 2 pints water
- 1 vegetable stock pot or stock cube
- 1 teaspoon marigold bouillon powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 bay leaves
- 2-3 tablespoons tomato puree
- 1 can of kidney beans
- 1 can cannellini beans
- Seasoning to taste
Method
- STEP 1Chop the bacon, then fry it in the large saucepan you will use the the soup. The idea is not to crisp it but to render the fat: cook it on a low heat with the lid on for about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan, leaving any rendered fat in the pan
- STEP 2Whilst the bacon is cooking, roughly chop the onion, garlic and leek and peel and slice the carrot. Once the bacon is done, put all of these into the pan and stir in the bacon fat. Add a generous splash of cider vinegar and allow to cook gently for about 5 minutes.
- STEP 3Add the water, stock, bouillon, paprika, bay leaves and puree to the vegetables. Stir through and then leave to simmer for about an hour.
- STEP 4Once cooked, add the bacon and then put through a blender and return to the pan (or use an immersion blender in the pan) before adding the drained and rinsed beans. Allow to heat through for 15 minutes.
- STEP 5Season to taste and serve with crusty bread.
- STEP 6This recipe is my (remarkably successful) attempt to recreate a covent garden soup of the month recipe - I think I actually like this mor than the original!