Bean

White bean soup with pancetta

January  8, 2015
5
1 Ratings
  • Serves 4-6
Author Notes

This is the ultimate comfort soup. Rainy weather, sick, tired-- this makes me feel better. Using the immersion blender for a flick or two at the end adds homey creaminess. —Kingfishercooks

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Ingredients
  • 1 pound Dried navy beans, soaked over night
  • 4 ounces Diced pancetta
  • 1 Medium onion, uniformly chopped
  • 2 Peeled carrots uniformly chopped
  • 3 Celery stalks uniformly chopped
  • 2 Cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • Fresh thyme leaves from 3 stalks
  • 32 ounces Good chicken stock, preferably home made
  • Salt and pepper to tast
Directions
  1. Cook the pancetta on medium heat until browned, not burned.
  2. Remove the pancetta and reserve on paper towel. Do not wipe out the grease from the pan.
  3. Add some olive oil, about 1 T, if not enough grease to cook the veggies. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the other veggies and cook until soft.
  4. Add the soaked, rinsed beans.
  5. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Turn down to med low and simmer until the beans are very soft. Add water as needed to be sure the beans stay covered in liquid.
  6. Use the immersion blender to purée a bit of the soup so that here are still some beans, but there is also smooth consistency. Salt and pepper to taste.
  7. Top with sprigs of thyme and the cooked pancetta. You can also top with thinly sliced left over pork tenderloin!
  8. Serve with crispy bread.

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1 Review

Grace W. February 3, 2019
Great base recipe for beans and pancetta. Sometimes I add a tablespoon of tomato paste to give it a little acid. Seems like it could be easily adaptable for what veggies you might like.