Bacon Cabbage And White Bean Soup Recipes

Steps:

• Soak beans in cold water to cover by 2 inches at room temperature at least 8 hours, or quick-soak (see cooks' note, below). Drain in a colander.
• Stick clove into onion. Bring ham hocks and 3 quarts water to a boil in a wide 6- to 7-quart heavy pot, skimming off any froth, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, 1 hour. Add beans, onion, parsley, bay leaf, thyme, and garlic and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until beans are almost tender, 40 to 50 minutes.
• When beans are almost done, peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch pieces. Add potatoes and cabbage to beans, then simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are very tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Remove ham hocks. When ham hocks are cool enough to handle, discard skin and bones, then cut meat into bite-size pieces. Stir into soup with salt and pepper to taste. Discard bay leaf and onion.
• Spread butter on both sides of bread, then toast in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, turning over once, until golden, about 2 minutes total.
• Serve soup with toasts.

Steps:

• Soak all beans over night or 8 hours in water. Drain, rinse, and set aside until needed.
• Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut top off of bulb of garlic so that all tops of cloves are exposed. Place bulb in foil or in small ramekin. Drizzle 1 tbs of olive oil on top of garlic. Salt and pepper. Place in oven and roast until tops are slightly browned - about 20-30 minutes. When roasted, set aside to cool.
• While garlic is cooling, coat bottom of stockpot with remainder of olive oil. Heat olive oil Medium. Place onion in stockpot and salt. Sweat onion while halving and slicing leek. Place leek in stockpot and stir. Add bacon to stockpot. Squeeze roasted garlic out of bulb and into stockpot and stir, smashing the cloves as you go. Salt and pepper and sautee until leeks and onions are soft and bacon is just about to start browning. You don't want the bacon raw and you don't want it browned - get it somewhere in between.
• As the above mixture is sauteeing, shred cabbage. Add cabbage and stir until all is coated with oil and bacon grease.
• Stir in water and chicken stock and set stove temp to Medium High. Add bean mixture and rice and bring soup to a boil.
• Boil until beans and rice are tender. Skim any bubbles off of the top of the soup throughout cook time. Serve when satisfied with all the textures in the soup.

Steps:

• 1. Soak the haricot beans in cold water overnight.
• 2. The next day, put the bacon hock into a deep pan with 2 litres of water. Bring to the boil over a medium heat, then cover and leave to simmer gently for 45 minutes to 1 hour, turning it over now and then as the liquid starts to reduce, until the meat is tender and falling away from the bone. Leave the hock in the cooking liquor until cool enough to handle.
• 3. Meanwhile, drain the beans and put into a second pan with 1 litre of cold water. Bring to the boil, skimming off any scum as it rises to the surface, then lower the heat, cover and leave to simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until tender. Drain and set aside.
• 4. Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 10 minutes. Add the carrot and cook for 5 minutes until it's soft. Strain 1.75 litres of the bacon's cooking liquor into the pan, add the turnip or swede and potatoes and simmer for 10 minutes.
• 5. Meanwhile, discard the skin from the hock and tear the meat into small, bite-sized pieces.
• 6. Quarter the cabbage, remove the core and thinly slice (or slice the curly kale). Add the bacon pieces, cabbage and beans to the soup and simmer for 5-7 minutes until tender.
• 7. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the garlic, parsley and plenty of black pepper. Ladle into large warmed soup plates and serve with lots of fresh crusty bread.