Ingredients: |
Ingredients: 10 strips Bacon – diced
2 large Shallots – peeled & small dice (about 1 1/2 cup)
3 medium Carrot – peeled & small dice (about 3/4 cup)
3 medium Celery – small dice (about 3/4 cup)
4 small cloves Garlic – peeled & minced
¼ tsp crushed Red Pepper Flakes - more or less, to taste
¾ tsp Kosher Salt , plus more to taste
heaping 1/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper , plus more to taste
½ cup White Wine
4 Cups Reduced sodium Chicken Stock - (can substitute vegetable stock)
2 (14.5 oz) cans Cannellini Beans or Great Northern Beans - UNDRAINED
2 sprigs fresh Rosemary
1 Bay leaf
1 Parmesan Cheese Rind
¼ - ½ Cup Heavy Cream
1 TBS fresh Parsley leaves – chopped, or more for serving
½ Cup Parmigiano Reggiano
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Directions: |
Directions:Cook bacon: Place a large stock pot over medium heat and add bacon. Cook until bacon is crisp and cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate, leaving bacon drippings in pan. Set aside
Remove bacon - leave fat: You want about 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings in the pot, if you do not have enough fat, add extra virgin olive oil to pan until you have about 1 tablespoon of liquid (just eyeball this)
Saute vegetables: Increase heat to medium high. Add shallots, carrot, and celery to pot. Cook, stirring frequently until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper; cook until aromatic, 30 seconds - 1 minute
Deglaze the pan: Add white wine to deglaze pan, scraping up brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until wine is reduced to 2 tablespoon, about 3-4 minutes
Add liquid, beans + herbs: Add the chicken stock, beans with their liquid, rosemary sprigs, bay leaf and parmesan rind (if using)
Boil, then simmer: Increase heat to high and bring soup to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cover and simmer for 15-18 minutes
Add bacon, cream, parsley + parmesan: Use tongs to remove the rosemary sprigs and bay leaf. (I leave in the parmesan rind, but you can remove and discard it.) Add in the bacon, 1/4 cup of cream, chopped parsley leaves and grated parmesan. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Taste the soup, add more cream for a richer taste and texture
Optional To Thicken Soup: (You can serve the soup as is for a brothy consistency, or you can thicken the soup with one of the two methods below.) For an ultra creamy, bisque-like texture, puree the entire soup.
1. Use an Immersion blender to blend some of the soup until desired consistency is reached. Or, use a potato masher to mash some of the beans. Blend about 1-2 cups of the soup for a slightly creamy yet rustic texture.
2. Stand Mixer: Remove 1-2 cups of the soup to a stand mixer. Puree the soup and then add the mixture back to the pot, add back in removed beans. |
This recipe for Tuscan White Bean Soup is from