Tomato Soup With White Beans And Bacon Recipes

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, 3 garlic cloves and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, 1 minute. Add all but 1/2 cup of the chopped tomatoes, the beans, broth, 1 cup water, the rosemary sprig, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer 20 minutes.
• Discard the rosemary sprig. Working in batches, transfer the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Season with salt. Return to the pot and cover to keep warm.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 garlic cloves in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 5 minutes. Toss with the bread, chopped rosemary, mozzarella and a pinch each of salt and red pepper flakes on a baking sheet. Bake, stirring occasionally, until the croutons are golden, 10 minutes. Top each bowl of soup with the croutons and the reserved 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes; drizzle with olive oil.

Steps:

• Peel the garlic, then smash the cloves using a meat pounder or the bottom of a heavy skillet until wispy and flat.
• In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, heat the olive oil, then add the crushed garlic, and cook, smashing with the back of a wooden spoon and stirring occasionally, until golden brown and beginning to stick to the bottom of the pan, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add the white beans and their liquid, crushed tomatoes, stock or water, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then partly cover, reduce heat, and let simmer until thickened and fragrant, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Using an immersion or regular blender, purée the soup until smooth. Add cream or stock or water to thin as desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle with heavy cream before serving.

Steps:

• Cook bacon on medium heat in a large saucepan until lightly browned and fat is rendered. Use a slotted spoon to remove bacon from the pan. Set on a plate lined with a paper towel.
• Add the chopped onion to the pot, cook in the bacon fat on medium heat until soft. Add the minced garlic and cook a minute more. Add the chopped peeled potatoes and cook a few minutes more.
• Add the tomatoes and chicken broth. Cook until potatoes are cooked through, about 20 minutes (or longer).
• Stir in the brown sugar. Add half of the beans to the mixture. Use an immersion blender to blend about half of the soup mixture (or blend half of the soup in a standing blender and return to the pot).
• Add bacon to the soup and the rest of the beans. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve with crusty bread.