Bacon, Cauliflower and White Bean Soup

By Grammie926

This healthy and hearty soup is great to have in the fridge as a quick standby for lunches and dinners. It is a cinch to make and requires very minimal preparation. To speed up the process further use frozen cauliflower florets instead of fresh—the taste difference is barely noticeable.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil 1/2 lb (250 g) bacon, sliced into 1/2-inch (1-cm) pieces
• 2 cups (500 mL) onions, chopped
• 2 tbsp (25 mL) garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tsp (10 mL) fresh thyme, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) white wine (optional)
• 1/4 tsp (1 mL) white pepper
• 8 cups (2 L) cauliflower florets
• 8 cups (2 L) chicken stock
• 2 cans (540 mL each) white kidney beans, drained well

Preparation

Step 1

1 In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat, add bacon and sauté until golden, about 15_ minutes. Remove bacon from pot with slotted spoon and set aside to cool. Once cooled, crumble bacon and save as garnish.

2 Add onions, garlic and thyme to pot, cook over low heat until onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add wine and continue cooking for 3 minutes.

3 Add white pepper, cauliflower, chicken stock and beans. Bring to the boil and then lower to simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender.

4 Let cool slightly. When the soup is cool enough, purée with a hand blender until velvety smooth. Serve warm, sprinkled with crumbled bacon, and accompanied by Gruyère & Raisin Bread Sandwiches.