10 Reasons why soup is like parenting.
1. it can bring back your own childhood memories
2. they both cause the occasional heartburn
3. each ingredient has its own personality
4. and if you're not careful, stronger personalities can overcome the quieter, more subtle ones
5. the goal is to nurture the individual ingredients so that (at some point) they will work together
6. at times it's best to let the ingredients simmer until they mellow out
7. messing with it too much may result in an unintended result
8. not paying enough attention can cause things to catch on fire
9. you soon realize which techniques work well, and which ones should simply be retired
10. it's best when shared
White Bean Soup with Bacon
adapted from Back In The Day Bakery
you will need:
1 can navy beans-drained
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 celery stalks- diced
2 sweet onions- diced
1 parsnip- peeled and diced
4 cups chicken stock
4 strips bacon- cooked & chopped
salt & pepper to taste
parsley- chopped
Method:
Saute the celery, onions and parsnip in olive oil for a few minutes until the onions just start to brown and the whole concoction becomes fragrant.
Add 3/4 of the beans and the chicken stock and bring to a boil.
Transfer to a blender (or use a hand blender) and blend until smooth. I really like a thick soup...Something I can scoop up with a hunk of crusty bread. So here I use a slotted spoon to transfer all the vegetables and then I add the liquid, leaving some on reserve.
I add in the liquid to get it to a consistency I am happy with.
Return the soup to the pot, add the remaining beans, and warm up over low heat.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with bacon and some parsley.
and a hunk of crusty bread.
and enjoy it with someone you love.
preferably someone who will offer to do the dishes without rolling their eyes.
