Cannellini Bean Soup

Description: We eat a lot of bean based soups in this house and I am always looking for another one to try. Cannellini beans are some of my favorites so I had to grab this recipe when I saw it in the Winter 2008 copy of the BBC Easy Cook magazine. The recipe states that it is suitable for freezing.

Ingredients:

• 4 shallots, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 2 sticks celery, finely chopped
• 2 leeks, finely chopped
• 5 ounces bacon, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 47 ounces chicken stock (can use vegetable stock too)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 (15 ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Steps:

1. Fry the shallots, garlic, carrot, celery, leeks and bacon in the oil for 7 minutes, until softened but not brown.
2. Pour in the stock and add the bay leaves and oregano.
3. Season and bring to the boil, cover the pan and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
4. Tip in the beans, re-cover and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
5. Swirl the chopped parsley into the soup.
6. Serve sprinkled with a little extra parsley.