Bean and Bacon Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound small dry beans soaked overnight
- 2 diced carrots
- 2 stalks diced celery
- 1/2 diced onion
- 1 small can tomato sauce or 1 cup V-8
- 2 tablespoons bacon grease
- 2 small dried whole chili peppers (optional)
- 1 bay leaf
- salt and pepper to taste.
Instructions
Saute the carrots, celery and onion in the bacon grease. Drain the bean of the soaking water and rinse well. Put sauteed vegetables, beans, chili peppers and bay leaf in crock pot. Fill to within 2 inches of top ( this is in my 6 quart) cover and set on High. Depending on the beans it will take 6 to 8 hours to cook soft. If you need it to cook longer just add more water at the beginning. At this point add tomato sauce, salt and pepper. Let cook for 1/2 more and it's ready.
For those concerned about cholesterol, the amount of fiber in this recipe offsets the bacon grease more than enough, at least according to my nutritonist. You can either simply save the bacon grease when you cook bacon in a small container in the fridge as I do or you could cook up some bacon and use it to garnish the soup when served.
Vegetarians can of course use any cooking oil instead and a little toasted sesame oil gives some nutty flavor to mimic the effect of the bacon.
For those concerned about cholesterol, the amount of fiber in this recipe offsets the bacon grease more than enough, at least according to my nutritonist. You can either simply save the bacon grease when you cook bacon in a small container in the fridge as I do or you could cook up some bacon and use it to garnish the soup when served.
Vegetarians can of course use any cooking oil instead and a little toasted sesame oil gives some nutty flavor to mimic the effect of the bacon.
Recipe Info
Views
808
Date
December 1, 2003
Categories
Soups and Sauces