Bean and Bacon Soup

I     I tried this the other day and it was really good! However, rather than garnishing the soup with the bacon, I just put it in the crockpot and let it cook with the other stuff. That made the soup kind of salty.

·         1 1/4 pound(s) thick-sliced bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips

·         2 tablespoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil 

·         1 Spanish onion, finely chopped

·         1 large carrot, finely diced

·         2 celery ribs, finely diced 

·         4 clove(s) garlic, minced

·         1 fresh bay leaf

·         2 teaspoon(s) chopped thyme

·         2 teaspoon(s) chopped rosemary

·         1 pound(s) Great Northern beans, soaked overnight and drained

·         10 cup(s) chicken stock

·         Salt and freshly ground pepper

1.    In a large soup pot, cook the bacon over moderate heat, stirring, until browned and crisp, about 7 minutes. Drain, reserving the fat and bacon separately.

2.    Heat the olive oil (I just used the bacon fat, because why would I not use that yummy flavor, especially if they tell you to add it back in later?) in the soup pot. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, and 1 teaspoon each of the chopped thyme and rosemary and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the drained beans, stock, and 3 tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat and bring to a boil. Simmer the soup over moderately low heat until the beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

3.    Discard the bay leaf and stir in the remaining thyme and rosemary. Season the soup with salt and pepper and transfer to shallow bowls. Garnish the soup with the bacon and serve.

Heather Baird's Awesome White Chicken Chili

Many thanks to Ali for the delicious recipes! Here's one of my favorites--I think I posted it on Blagodarnost--but here it is again. This seriously tastes great and looks hard but it's not. Set all of the condiments out on the table for a fiesta.

1 T olive oil
1 lb boneless chicken, cubed
1 med. onion, diced 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans Great Northern beans (I use any white beans)
1 3.5 oz. can green chilies with juice
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t dried oregano leaves
1/2 t coriander
1/2 t salt fresh cracked pepper
1 32 oz. box chicken broth

Add before serving:
1 lime
1/2 C chopped fresh cilantro

Condiments:
Sour cream
Chopped cilantro
Shredded cheese (I use cheddar or mozzarella cheese, but the recipe calls for pepper-jack)
Avocado
Tortilla chips

In a large pot, heat olive oil, then add onion and cook 'til translucent. While onions are cooking, drain beans and rinse with cold water, then set aside. Sprinkle chopped chicken with salt and pepper and add to pot. Add garlic. Cook until there's no visible pink on the chicken, 3-4 minutes. Add green chilies, including their juice. Then add the beans, cumin, oregano, coriander, and salt. Add a few turns of cracked pepper. Stir to combine and then add chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer uncovered 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat, then add juice from 1 lime (I just put out lime slices for people to use if they want) and the 1/2 C. chopped cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste.

When I want to make this in the crockpot I use dried beans, "quick soak" them in the morning (add beans to hot water, bring to a boil, then let stand, covered, for 2 hours, then drain and rinse) and then add them to everything in the crockpot and let it cook on low all day. I've also used canned chicken instead of sauteing fresh chicken.