bean soup « Chez Sasha

Sunday Soup time!
This soup is so easy to make yet so satisfying and yummy. It’s rustic and unpretentious, just the way autumn eats should be.

*I cooked the beans myself but using canned is fine (more sodium but so much faster).

Ingredients:

3 bacon strips, chopped
1 celery stick, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 c cooked white beans
4 c chicken stock
A generous handful of basil, chiffonaded
Salt/cracked black pepper

*How to cook white beans: place 1c dried beans into medium pot and fill with water, almost to the top. Add 2 tsp salt and cover with lid. Bring to boil and simmer for about 1h15m, or until fully cooked. Drain.
Soup: On medium heat, render bacon in medium soup pot, about 5m. Drain off half of the fat. Add garlic and saute for 1m. Add celery, carrots, onion, a pinch of salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Saute for 5m, until onion is translucent. Add beans and broth, cover with lid and bring to boil. Remove lid and simmer for 15m. Re-season if necessary. Stir in basil. Enjoy. And don’t forget to share ; )

…this is my third post in a row of a recipe with bacon. If I keep going like this, I might have to start seeing a cardiologist.

Mexican is one of my favorite cuisines and black bean soup is one of the many mouth-watering reasons why. This soup is spicy, smoky, thick, filling, and, dare I say it, orgasmic!

(Yield: 5-6 servings)

Ingredients:

3 strips bacon, chopped

1 white onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 carrot, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 bay leaf

1 tsp chili powder

1/3 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp salt

2 15oz cans black beans, rinsed, drained

4 c chicken stock

2 tbsp corn starch

Optional toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream, scallions, cilantro, crushed tortilla chips

Render the bacon on low heat in a soup pot, for about 4 min, stirring frequently. Add onion, garlic, carrot, bell pepper, bay leaf and all spices. Turn heat up to medium, stir and sauté for 10 min, until vegetables are soft. Put half of beans in a food processor with 1 cup of stock and puree. Add puree and remaining stock to pot, turn heat up, cover tightly with lid and bring to boil. Once rolling boil is achieved, remove lid, lower heat and simmer for 10 min. Meanwhile, in a small dish, combine the corn starch with 2 tbsp water and blend until smooth.

Add the remaining beans and corn starch to pot. Simmer 5-7 min, re-season if necessary and serve.