Ingredients: |
Ingredients: 1 pound dried white beans, such as white kidney,cannellini, or great Northern, rinsed and picked over. You may use canned, but reduce your cooking time at the end by 15 minutes.
1/2 pound bacon, cut into 1/2-inch wide pieces
2 cups chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 tbsp. minced shallots
1 tbsp. minced garlic
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 quarts chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 pound diced cooked chicken
1 cup freshly grated Romano cheese or cheese of your choice
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Directions: |
Directions:Put the beans into a large pot or bowl. Add water to cover by 2 inches and soak for at least 8 hours or overnight. Then drain. (For a quick soak, bring the beans and water to a boil over high heat and cook for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat and allow to stand for 1 hour. Drain.)
Fry the bacon in a heavy medium stockpot over medium-high heat until crisp, about 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to lift onto paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the pot.
Add the onions and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the shallots, garlic, bay leaves, salt, and cayenne. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots soften, about 1 minute.
Add the beans to the pot with the stock, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender, about 1-1/2 hours.
Stir in the chicken and the reserved bacon and heat through. Remove and discard bay leaves.Ladle into warm bowl and sprinkle with the grated cheese. |
This recipe for Chicken, Bacon, and White Bean Soup is from