Feature Recipe

Feature Recipehttp://www.casualchefs.com/Rss feed of a Feature Recipe.en-usGenerated On 2010-07-29Great Northern Bean Soup with Sage & BaconSissor6easyA Great White Bean Soup with Sage and some bacon!1bacon 1/4 lbs choppedfresh ground black pepper 1/2 tspsalt 1 tspZucchini 2 mediumWater 4 cupsCanned Great Northen Beans 2 cansOlive Oil 2-3 tbsCarrots 2 medium sizedOnion 1 choppedLeek 1 choppedGarlic 5-6 mincedFresh Sage Leaves 1/3 cup choppedBay Leaf 1I used canned beans. Much easier and quicker than waiting over night for beans to soak! Also you can subsitute veg broth or chicken broth for the water or half it with the water. 2 cups water and 2 cups chicken/veg broth. It would make for a richer tasting soup. But would add more salt over all. This soup, should there be left overs, gets really really really good the following day! Make extra so you have left overs. It\\\'s worth it. When i made this recipe, I did it without the bacon, but while eating it was like, it really needs something. So experiment with how much bacon to add.

Pre chop all the veggies and the sage. Using a mandolin helps. Cut the zucchini in halfs and then thinnly slice using the mandolin. Or just cut thin slices. The Zucchini will be added at the end...

Heat the oil in a dutch oven (large pot with a cover) over medium heat. Add the chopped carrots, onion, leek (use most of the white part and just some of the green - not all) and garlic. Cook, stirring often for about 8 mins, or until tender. Add a tablespoon of water at a time, if it gets too dry.

Stir in the sage, bay leaf, beans (drained and rinsed) the 4 cups of water & bacon. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and simmer for about 45 mins.

Remove the bay leaf.

Blend the soup in a food processor or blender. No need to blend it all, just some. Or if you have a stick blender just blend it in the pot.

Add the zucchini, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

Serve!