Recipe #55 - Smoky Bean Soup with Ham and Bacon

Growing up, my very favorite soup was Campbell's Bean and Bacon.  My mom didn't buy it very often but I always got excited when I saw it in the pantry.  In fact, when I went to college I bought it all winter long -- a quick and easy meal for a poor student.  When I got married, I made it once or twice for my husband, only to find out that he didn't really like it.  I don't know that I've bought it more than once or twice in the last 14 years because of that.

When I got this cookbook, I saw that recipe, drooled a little bit, and figured that I probably would never make it.  I didn't think my family would like it.  Well, this blog project got started and guess who made Bean and Bacon soup?!  Me.

You can find this recipe on page 101 or online here.

You start by cutting your bacon into bite-sized pieces and cooking it in a stockpot.  (You make the soup in the same pot, so plan accordingly.)

Get the bacon nice and crispy.  Then drain on paper towels.

Using a little bit of the bacon grease, you saute the onions and garlic.

Then you stir in the ham, beans, paprika, and salt.

Add the chicken broth and potatoes.  Bring the soup to a boil and let it simmer 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Next you take 3 cups of the soup and put it into the blender.  Make sure that you don't put the lid on tight.  The steam needs to be able to escape.

You pour this back into the soup and give it a good stir.  This helps to thicken the soup up a little bit.

You can add a little salt and pepper to taste, and dinner is served!

Did my family like it, you ask?  Well, they were split on this one.  I loved it even more than the Campbell's version.  My husband totally shocked me when he said that he loved it.  My son gobbled up his entire bowl without a single complaint.  (Today's miracle!)

Then...there were my girls.  They weren't fans.  But there was one thing that they did love about the soup -- making faces in the pot.

 

She reminds me a little bit of Pascal from Tangled...

This went one for quite some time.  Glad they enjoyed something about the soup.