Great Northern Bean Soup with Bacon
A soup perfect for a crisp Fall night.
Servings 8
Calories 616kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound Dried Great Northern Beans rinsed and sorted
- 7 cups chicken stock divided
- 1 scoop Lard
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 ¼ pounds thick-sliced bacon cut crosswise into ¼-inch strips
- 1 sweet onion finely chopped
- 2 large carrot rough chopped
- 3 celery ribs rough chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoons chopped thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
- 2 teaspoons chopped rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Wash beans and pick out any misfits. Place beans in a crock pot, along with the lard and bay leaf. Cover with 3 cups of chicken stock. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until tender. Check crock pot periodically to make sure beans don't go dry. Add more stock if necessary.
- 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.
- Heat a tablespoon of the bacon fat 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, thyme and rosemary and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the beans and any liquid left in the crockpot. Add remaining stock and 3 tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat and bring to a boil.
- Simmer the soup over low heat until the flavors have married. About 30 minutes.
- Discard the bay leaf and season the soup with salt and pepper and transfer to shallow bowls.
- Garnish the soup with the bacon bits and serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 616kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 793mg | Potassium: 1245mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 2611IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 126mg | Iron: 4mg