White Bean Soup with Bacon and Spiced Brown Butter
User Reviews
4.9
-
Total Time
45 mins
White Bean Soup with Bacon and Spiced Brown Butter
Description
This recipe begins by frying chopped bacon until crisp, rendering flavorful fat used to soften onions and garlic with herbs and spices including dried basil, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cannellini beans and chicken stock are added and simmered to blend flavors. The mixture is then pureed to a smooth consistency and seasoned with salt as needed. Half and half stirred in at the end adds richness and creaminess.
The soup is finished with the crisp bacon sprinkled on top along with drizzles of spiced brown butter, which is prepared by browning unsalted butter with curry powder and ground cardamom. This adds nutty, warm spice notes that contrast with the creamy base and smoky bacon, giving the soup complexity and depth.
Serve this soup as a hearty starter or light meal. Its thick, velvety texture and balance of smoky, creamy, and spiced flavors make it satisfying. The layered cooking steps enhance flavor development, while the spiced brown butter highlights thoughtful seasoning beyond a basic bean soup.
The recipe credits the brown butter idea to 101 Cookbooks, recognizing the flavor contribution. Taste and adjust seasoning carefully before serving as the bacon and butter bring salt and spice.
Ingredients
- 4 lices Bacon chopped
- 1 onion diced, sweet
- 2 garlic minced, cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon basil dried
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes crushed
- 2 cannellini beans 14-ounce cans, drained and rinsed
- 3 cups chicken stock low sodium
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup half and half
spiced brown butter
- 4 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 pinch ground cardamom
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook until crispy and all the fat is rendered. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and place it on a paper towel to drain any excess grease. Add the onions and garlic to the pot and stir. Stir in the basil, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook until the onions begin to caramelize, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Stir in the beans and stock. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, carefully transfer the mixture to a blender. Blend until pureed completely, then pour back in the pot. Season with the salt and taste again – you may need to season more, but remember you are topping it with bacon! Stir in the half and half right before serving.
- Serve topped with the bacon crumbles and drizzles of spiced brown butter.
spiced brown butter
- Heat the butter over medium heat in a saucepan, whisking constantly. Cook until it bubbles and the brown bits appear on the bottom (about 4 to 5 minutes) then quickly stir in the curry and cardamom and remove it from the heat. Whisk for another 10 seconds. Drizzle and drop the butter on the soup before serving.
Notes
- Crisp bacon fully before removing to maximize rendered fat for cooking vegetables.
- Cook onions and garlic low and slow to develop slight caramelization for deeper flavor.
- Blend soup until completely smooth for the right creamy consistency.
- Prepare brown butter spiced with curry powder and ground cardamom carefully to avoid burning while releasing aromas.
- Adjust salt after blending, considering saltiness from bacon and spiced brown butter.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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