Bean & Pasta Soup Recipe
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups (310 ml) dried navy (pea) beans
6 cups (1.5 L) cold water
3 strips bacon, finery chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large stalk celery, chopped
3/4 pound (340 g) smoked pork rib or neck bones
2 medium cloves garlic,minced
1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) each dried thyme and marjoram, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) pepper
3/4 cup (180 ml) uncooked small pasta
2 tablespoons (30 ml) minced fresh parsley
Pinch salt
1 cup (250 ml) beef broth, if needed
Directions
Rinse and sort beans.
Combine beans and 6 cups (1.5 L) water in large saucepan.
Heat over high heat to boiling; boil uncovered 2 minutes.
Remove from heat; let beans soak covered 1 hour.
Do not drain.
Cook bacon in medium skillet over medium-high heat 2 minutes.
Add onion and celery; saute, stirring frequently, until vegetables are light brown, about 6 minutes.
Remove bacon and vegetables with slotted spoon to plate; discard drippings.
Rinse pork bones to remove excess salt; add bones to beans and soaking water in saucepan.
Add sauteed bacon and vegetables Stir garlic, thyme, marjoram and pepper into bean mixture.
Heat over high heat to boiling; reduce heat to low.
Simmer covered, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender, about 1 hour.
Remove from heat.
Remove bones from soup to plate; reserve.
Remove about half the beans from soup with slotted spoon; puree these beans with 2 tablespoons (30 mL) soup liquid in blender or food processor.
Stir puree into soup remaining in saucepan.
Heat soup to boiling.
Stir in pasta; cook uncovered over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender, 8 to 12 minutes.
While pasta is cooking, remove meat from reserved bones; discard bones.
Chop meat fine.
Stir meat and pars ley into soup just before serving.
Taste soup; add salt if needed.
Soup will thicken on standing; if necessary, stir in as much of the beef broth as needed to thin.
Combine beans and 6 cups (1.5 L) water in large saucepan.
Heat over high heat to boiling; boil uncovered 2 minutes.
Remove from heat; let beans soak covered 1 hour.
Do not drain.
Cook bacon in medium skillet over medium-high heat 2 minutes.
Add onion and celery; saute, stirring frequently, until vegetables are light brown, about 6 minutes.
Remove bacon and vegetables with slotted spoon to plate; discard drippings.
Rinse pork bones to remove excess salt; add bones to beans and soaking water in saucepan.
Add sauteed bacon and vegetables Stir garlic, thyme, marjoram and pepper into bean mixture.
Heat over high heat to boiling; reduce heat to low.
Simmer covered, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender, about 1 hour.
Remove from heat.
Remove bones from soup to plate; reserve.
Remove about half the beans from soup with slotted spoon; puree these beans with 2 tablespoons (30 mL) soup liquid in blender or food processor.
Stir puree into soup remaining in saucepan.
Heat soup to boiling.
Stir in pasta; cook uncovered over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender, 8 to 12 minutes.
While pasta is cooking, remove meat from reserved bones; discard bones.
Chop meat fine.
Stir meat and pars ley into soup just before serving.
Taste soup; add salt if needed.
Soup will thicken on standing; if necessary, stir in as much of the beef broth as needed to thin.