Bacon and Butter Bean Soup

Name: Bacon and Butter Bean Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 400 grams butter beans. organic. canned. drained (we use Biona). and rinsed (see notes); 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 1 large onion sliced; 3 rashers smoked bacon. cut into chunks; 4 cloves garlic chopped; 1 teaspoon Fresh Thyme Leaves; 1 tablespoon Dry White Wine; 800 mls vegetable stock; ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes; ¼ teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper; 2 tablespoon crème fraiche; 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard; 2 tablespoons pine nuts (pinyons). lightly toasted (optional)

John Glen Over a year ago 6,765 views

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 45 mins

British Soup 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Family Food ❄️ Winter

Ingredients

400 grams butter beans. organic. canned. drained (we use Biona). and rinsed (see notes)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion sliced
3 rashers smoked bacon. cut into chunks
4 cloves garlic chopped
1 teaspoon Fresh Thyme Leaves
1 tablespoon Dry White Wine
800 mls vegetable stock
¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
¼ teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoon crème fraiche
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
2 tablespoons pine nuts (pinyons). lightly toasted (optional)

Accompaniment

Description

An intense, flavoursome, and indulgent soup, exactly right, for when you need a bit of contentment.

Method

1
Heat the olive oil and put the onions and bacon in a medium saucepan and cook on a medium heat until they are just starting to brown, add the butter beans and garlic and stir in the thyme. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and a little bit of the stock, scraping all those tasty brown bits off the bottom of the pan, then add the rest of the stock and the chilli flakes. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer for about 10 - 15 minutes uncovered.
Put the soup in a blender and blend until smooth (if you like your soups chunky, only blend about two thirds of the soup), return to the pan, taste and season, turn the heat right down and let cook for another 5 minutes or so.
Mix the Crème Fraîche and the mustard together in a separate bowl. Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan until browning.
When you serve the soup, stir in a tablespoon of the mustard cream and sprinkle with some toasted pine nuts.
Serve and Enjoy!

Chef's Tips

Butter Beans, These large white beans have a rich, creamy texture. They are available canned or dried, dried beans must be soaked and cooked before use. Cannellini or borlotti beans can be substituted for butter beans in many recipes.
Uses: In salads, with chicken or pasta dishes and in soups and casseroles.
To store: Keep in a cool, dry place. Once opened, canned beans should be transferred to a non-metallic container, covered, and stored in the fridge for up to 2 days.
To prepare, Soak the dried beans in water for 5 hours and drain. Place the beans in a saucepan and cover with water, boil briskly for 10 minutes. If the beans are to be used in a recipe, then follow the recipe. If the beans are to be cooked, simmer for 1-1½ hours until tender. Five minutes before the end of cooking time, add salt to taste. Drain and serve.