Pioneer Woman Recipes Bean Soup

BEAN WITH BACON SOUP

Steps:

• Pick through the beans and give them a rinse. Put them in a bowl and cover them with water by two inches. Let them soak overnight.Drain the beans and place them in a pot. Add the chicken stock and 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. While the beans are cooking, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until just barely crisp. Remove to a paper towel lined plate. Add 2/3 of the bacon to the beans and reserve the rest for garnish.Drain the bacon grease from the pan and add the onions, carrots, and celery. Season them with some salt and pepper and cook until just beginning to soften, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for another minute or two. Add the vegetables to the beans. Add the bay leaf and give it a good stir. Cover and cook on low (to medium-low) until the beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Add a cup of broth if the liquid level gets too low. When ready to serve, taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. If desired, stir in the tomatoes. Serve with chopped reserved bacon and chopped parsley.

BEAN WITH BACON SOUP

Steps:

• Pick through the beans, then rinse and drain them. Put them in a large pot and cover with water by 2 inches. Let soak overnight.
• Drain the beans and return them to the pot. Add the chicken stock and 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
• While the beans are simmering, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Add half the bacon to the beans, reserving the rest for garnish.
• Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease from the skillet and add the carrots, celery and onions. Season with some salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables are just beginning to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste and garlic and cook for another minute, stirring to combine.
• Using a slotted spoon, add the vegetables to the beans. Add the bay leaves and give it a good stir. Taste to check if it needs any additional seasoning. Simmer until the beans are tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• When ready to serve, stir in the tomatoes. Serve with the reserved bacon and chopped parsley.

WHITE BEAN AND SAUSAGE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in an 8-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the sausage, breaking it into bite-size chunks as it cooks, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate to allow excess oil to drain off.
• Add the peppers, oregano, rosemary, garlic and onions to the pot. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook until the onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Pour in the chicken broth, beans and tomatoes. Return the sausage to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
• Stir in the kale, heavy cream and apple cider vinegar. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.
• To freeze, transfer the soup to containers with airtight lids, leaving space at the top as it will expand as it freezes. Allow the soup to cool completely before placing the lids on and freezing. Reheat until hot before serving and garnish with Parmesan cheese if desired.

BLACK BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Set a multi-cooker to the saute function. Add the lard or butter and melt. Add the garlic, onion, bell pepper and jalapeno. Cook until the vegetables are softened, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle over the chili powder, cumin and salt. Stir and cook for about a minute. Add the beans and pour in the broth.
• Put on the lid and set the valve to sealing. Set to pressure cook on manual for 50 minutes.
• Once the pressure-cook cycle is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then release the rest of the steam using quick release.
• Remove the lid and add the lime juice. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until it is a good mix of smooth and textured. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. If the soup is too thick, add some additional broth to thin it.
• Ladle into bowls and garnish with the red onion, cilantro, tomato, sour cream, avocado and lime wedges.

TUSCAN BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and onions and cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes, getting lots of flavor in the bottom of the pot. Stir in the red pepper flakes and dried oregano; cook and stir for another 30 seconds.
• Pour in the wine and whisk, scraping the bottom of the pot a bit as you go. Allow this to bubble up and reduce, cooking until the wine is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes, then the beans. Pour in the chicken broth. Stir to combine, bring to a simmer and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste.
• Rinse the kale and tear it into chunks. Stir it into the soup (it'll shrink quite a bit, so don't be afraid when you first add it!). Simmer the soup for another 5 minutes, tasting and adding salt and pepper (or even more red pepper flakes) as needed.
• Transfer the soup to a large serving bowl. Add big, fat Parmesan shavings and garnish with torn basil.