November 15, 2010

Simple. Satisfying. Soup.

Bacon, Bean and Pasta Soup
This is the only decent photo I took. I was in too much of a hurry to dive in.

I am a serious believer and lover of soup.
As soon as the evenings start getting even a slightly bit chilly, I happily grab my favorite soup pot, head to the fridge, freezer and cupboard and start concocting soup recipes.
Almost a different one every night.


Sometimes I like to have a base recipe to build on and sometimes I just make it up.  The results are always the same - delicious!

And as my 11 year old niece and 16 year old nephew in California proved last week, kids love soup!  I made the Potimarron Soup (recipe below) and the Bacon, Bean and Pasta Soup (pictured above and recipe below) for them over the course of a few days and they absolutely inhaled them.
At dinner they each had a bowl, then went back for seconds, then for thirds.  Then they ate the leftovers as an after school snack the following day.
I would say that's proof enough.


This simple and satisfying dish can be on the table in about 30 minutes. 
I served it with Parmesan toasts and a green salad.

Bacon, Bean and Pasta Soup
from BBC Good Food
serves 4
  • 8 rashers rindless streaky bacon, chopped
  • 2 leeks, halved and sliced
  • 4 carrots, halved lengthways and sliced
  • 400g tin mixed beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 l chicken stock, fresh, cube or concentrate
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 50g small pasta shapes
  • a handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • grated parmesan, to serve
  1. Fry the bacon in a large non-stick pan (it will cook in its own fat) until golden, then add the leeks and carrots and cook for about 5 minutes until softened.
  2. Tip in the beans, chicken stock, tomato purée and pasta and simmer until the pasta is cooked.
  3. Stir through the parsley and serve in bowls topped with grated Parmesan.

Looking for more cold weather soup recipes?  Try these:
Corn Chowder
Potimarron Soup
Gumbo
Big Beans and Bitter Greens (Croque-Camille)
Hearty Lentil Soup with Carrots, Tomatoes and Smoked Sausage (Farmgirl Fare)
Split Pea Soup with Caramelized Onions, Hazelnut Oil & Roquefort Breadsticks (Cowgirl Chef) Pin It

14 comments:

katedecamont said...

It's definitely Soup Weather here in Gascony. my new favorite- Cassoulet Soup made with leftovers from a cassoulet fest.

Katie Zeller said...

I LOVE soup - all of it! (The bread that goes with it is pretty darn good, too)
I think Lentil Soup fur lunch..... I have some bacon.....

Cowgirl Chef said...

Love the sound of this easy, yummy soup -- and those cheese toasts! Isn't that the most fun part of soup - the sides and stuff that you put on top?

Ana Mungioli said...

What I love the most in this soups are the little pieces of bread covered in cheese that rests on top of them!

Anne in Oxfordshire said...

Love soup too .. and definitely the weather for it .. Off to the shops to get some Veggies!!

Anonymous said...

That soup sounds delicious! Soup is one of my favorite things bout cooking in the winter, too. Merci pour la mention!

milanese masala said...

Happened to find your blog thanks to Anne in Oxfordshire. We are major consumers of soup in our household. The kids love it too. Always on the lookout for new recipes so thanks!

aimee said...

Your little toasts look perfect! (As does the soupe!)

Sharon T said...

I absolutely love soup and there is nothing better than having some crusty bread to dip in it! Tonight at my house was elk chili and cornbread :)

Jennifer said...

kate
I have very fond memories of the chestnut soup you made when I was there last year.
Cassoulet soup sounds amazing!
Have a great trip to the States and let's get together when you return, either here or there. bisous!

katie
I love lentil soup (and the bread of course)!

Cowgirl
That's what I love about it - the versatility. And the Parmesan toasts. :)

Ana
That is one of the parts, I agree.

Anne
Glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for sharing the link on Facebook.

Camille
You're more than welcome!

milanese masala
Thanks for taking the time to stop by and comment. Glad I could help with some new recipes.

aimee
We always have stale bread around so I'm big on croutons, toasts, bread puddings, bread salads, etc.

Sharon
Elk chili! Sounds great!

Cathy said...

It's soup weather here in the Pacific Northwest for sure. Cold, dark and rainy and a steamy bowl of soup is the perfect meal.

Jennifer said...

Cathy
I hope soup is keeping you warm on the dark, stormy days.

Our Juicy Life said...

I've made 3 soups since we moved. I love them too but it was never really cold enough in Los Angeles to make soup. There needs to be a bite in the air. There's a bite here alright, so soups on. Love the bean, bacon soup. That might be my next one.

Jennifer said...

Notre vie
I imagine you'll have much more opportunity to enjoy soup on a cold evening now that you're in France. :)