I want to taste nothing but creamy tomato soup, flavored with the herbs of my choice. Typical recipes will have bouillon cubes or chicken broth and flour.

I decided against those ingredients, using heavy cream and white wine for a smooth and robust tomato bisque soup.

This Tomato Bisque Soup Recipe is a Healthy Version

The result is a healthier, cleaner taste of pure tomato. I picked the tomatoes and herbs out of my garden, and I wanted to share a soup that you could easily make without a lot of fuss, yet still have those sophisticated flavors. (see the faster, cheat version below).

Of course, you can pair this with a grilled cheese sandwich and make that classic American meal.

Put a Creative Spin on Tomato Bisque Soup

• Add fresh sweet corn, cut from from the cob, for texture.
• Add in homemade croutons, or crunchy bacon.
• Add hot sauce and chopped avocado.
• Add a some chile oil and replace cream with coconut milk.  So this at the end before stirring. Skip the wine.
• Add a drizzle of honey. Honey does something to tomatoes that I just adore.
• Skip the cream and simply have a great tomato basil soup.

Fresh garden tomato bisque soup is just one of many great tomato recipes made with food from my garden. You might also be interested in the fresh garden tomato sauce.

Fast Tomato Bisque Soup using Passata

Passata is simply strained tomatoes and sea salt, found in your local grocery store next to canned tomatoes, most often in glass bottles. Use Passata as your start. Add the wine first and when the alcohol burns off, add the heavy cream and warm through. Finish with fresh herbs, salt and pepper as needed. 

More Fabulous Soup from Spinach Tiger

• Roasted Red Pepper Soup
• Italian Beef Macaroni Soup
• Ribollita Tuscan Cabbage Soup
• Green Potato Soup
• Carrot Ginger Soup
• Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Toasted Pecans
• Healthy Spicy Tortilla Soup
• Creamy Garden Tomato Soup
• Summer Chicken Soup 
• Spinach Soup
• Snowcap Heirloom Beans with Shrimp
• Bean Soup with Bacon Bits
• Split Pea Soup with Portabello Mushrooms
• Garden Fresh Tomato Basil Soup
• Broccoli Basil Spinach Soup

Pin this

My Favorite Tools for this Recipe

• Soup Crocks
• Soup Ladle
• Stick Blender
• Le Creuset Dutch Oven (I have several, but this one is smaller and on my to buy list)
• Passata

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Fresh Tomato Bisque Soup

Homemade fresh tomato biscque soup with tomatoes from the garden, blended until smooth.

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 hours hours

Total Time 4 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 10 tomatoes see note
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion peeled, cut in chunks
• 2 carrots peeled, cut in big chunks
• 1 piece of celery or a dash celery seed
• fresh parsely small handful
• fresh basil small handful
• 6 sprigs of thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dry thyme
• 1/2 cup white wine or dry sherry optional
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons butter

Instructions

• Cut an x in the bottom of each tomato. Submerge tomatoes into boiling water for 30 seconds. You may do this 4 tomatoes at a time.
• Cool. Peel.
• Cut in half, squeeze some of the water and seeds out.
• Put in crock pot with onion, carrot, celery olive oil, thyme, basil. Add white wine.
• Cook on high for 4 hours or low for six hours. (this part is very flexible. Just make sure there enough liquid in slow cooker).
• Put into blender or use a stick blender with butter and blend until smooth.
• Add back in soup pan. Turn burner on low. Add in heavy cream. Cook just until warm and blended.
• Top with freshly cut parsley and basil, sprig of thyme or any herbs you like.

Notes

You may want to make more than 10 tomatoes, just follow the ratios. 20 tomatoes will easily fit in most slow cookers. 

Cheat Tomato Bisque: Use Passata as your start. Add the wine first and when the alcohol burns off, add the heavy cream and warm through. Finish with fresh herbs, salt and pepper as needed. 

The post Tomato Bisque Soup Recipe with Fresh Tomatoes appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

As an Italian I grew up with a lot of soup and there were always two things on the table. Freshly grated parmesan cheese (or pecorino) and extra virgin olive oil. We couldn’t imagine not having a drizzle of olive oil.

When I first posted this, I wrote about Spectrum® Cayenne Pepper Olive Oil to spice up the soup, loaded with vegetables and give it a memorable kick. 

That drizzle at the end made my husband swoon, but it’s also part of the recipe itself. I’m not sure that cayenne oil is available any longer, but there are a few ways to spice up soup.

How to Spice up the Soup

There is another way to bring spice to soup and that’s with bomba sauce. I’m not sure if that’s easy to find anymore, but another option is to drizzle their extra virgin olive oil at the end and spice up the soup with the bomba sauce, which is fermented Calabrian chilis.

I’ve talked about bomba sauce before, which I purchase at Trader Joe’s, as it has that just right kind of heat.   If you don’t have bomba sauce or cayenne infused olive oil, you can add heat with crushed red pepper.

Olive oil can be drizzled into each bowl upon serving, adjusted for each person’s taste and accompanied with a good helping of Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese.

The Soup

This is the time of year that we are between summer and winter. We have the pick of the best vegetables from both seasons, including cabbage, tomatoes, and butternut squash.

You can make this soup fast or you can make this soup slow. You can make this in a slow cooker all night or all day, or on top of the stove in a dutch oven.

You can cut up every veggie yourself or you can use a selection of frozen. You can use a homemade bone broth like I did, or you can buy a nice organic boxed broth.

Add Seasonal Vegetables to Italian Soup with Sausage

You have options with vegetables. While the important ingredients of this soup include celery, onions, tomatoes, carrots and cabbage, feel free to add or subtract various vegetables you may have on hand. I’ve made this soup with broccoli and zucchini the first time and cubed butternut squash the second time.

If you happen to have some freshly picked seasonal vegetables, add them in. In the summer that would include yellow and green zucchini. In the winter, you might add in broccoli, cauliflower or butternut squash.

I like to sauté my carrots, onion, celery and cabbage for just a few minutes to drive flavor. The sausage is loose Italian sausage that is browned before adding to the soup.

Use Homemade or Organic Store Bought Broth for Italian Soup with Sausage

I always start with a good homemade bone broth and it works well with either my beef broth or chicken broth.  If time is short, I use an organic store bought broth.

My Favorite Italian Sausage

Our favorite Italian sausage comes from Butcher Box, a meat subscription service. I loved it so much, I became an affiliate.  We choose a custom box every month, and are so pleased knowing we are purchasing quality meat, humanely raised.

Easy Prep for Spicy Italian Soup with Sausage 

Let me assure you, once you take the twenty minutes to prep this soup, you can leave it. You will have enough for a few dinners, as it freezes well. 

More Spinach Tiger Soups that Love a Drizzle of Olive Oil

Homemade Beef Vegetable Soup

Italian Eggplant Soup with Sausage 

Italian Wedding Soup

30 Low Carb Vegetables with over 100 Recipes 

More Spinach Tiger Recipes with Italian Sausage

Italian Sausage Crusted Pizza

Italian Sausage with Creamy Spaghetti Squash

Italian Sausage Frittata

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Spicy Italian Soup with Sausage

Italian Soup with Sausage

Course Soup

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 hours hours

Total Time 4 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 10

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 4 quarts broth beef broth or chicken broth See Notes
• 1 large can San Marzano tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil to cook sausage
• 1 pound loose Italian sausage
• 1 large onion diced
• 4 carrots diced
• 4 celery stalks diced
• 2 turnips peeled
• 1 small head cabbage
• 1 can red beans
• 1 can white beans or chickpeas
• 1 tablespoon sea salt up to, taste as you go
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• handful parsley leaves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon bomba sauce see notes
• 1 to 2 cups chopped kale
• 1 handful parsley
• olive oil for drizzling
• Grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan Cheese for Serving

Instructions

• Bone broth can be made in advance and frozen or started 24 hours in advance. Another option is to use 4 quarts store bought organic broth.
• Add broth to slow cooker. Turn cooker on to time you desire. I used the six hour time.
• Chop tomatoes, and add to broth along with the juices.
• Brown Sausage in large frying pan with oil.
• Remove sausage to a dish, and add celery, carrots, onion, cabbage to pan.
• Sauté lightly for just a few minutes to open up flavors. You are not fully cooking.
• Add sausage, and vegetables,(except for kale) to broth.
• Rinse beans with cold water. Drain. Add to broth.
• Add 2 tablespoons Spectrum Cayenne® Pepper Olive Oil
• Add in a handful of parsley, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper.
• Cook in slow cooker for 4 to six hours. I chose six hours.
• Stovetop Option: Cook on low for at least 2 hours making sure cabbage is cooked through.
• Remove ribs from kale. Chop. Add to soup about twenty minutes prior to serving., so that kale is not overcooked.
• Taste for seasoning. Add more salt and pepper as needed.
• Garnish with chopped parsley.
• Serve with Spectrum® Cayenne Pepper Olive Oil and grated cheese.

Notes

Regarding broth, use either chicken or beef.

Instead of cayenne olive oil, use olive oil and add in red chili flakes according to the heat you prefer.

 

This site contains affiliate Amazon links which earn a small commission.

The post Spicy Italian Soup with Sausage Recipe appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Let me tell you, how silly that disappointment was because my Vitamix has become indispensable in my kitchen and one investment I think everyone should make.

Why a Vitamix?

It does everything it says it will. It crushes and pulverizes in a way I’ve never seen a normal blender do.

There are other brands that claim the same thing at a less expensive price, but your Vitamix is for your lifetime, and at the end of the day more cost effective.

Vitamix Soup Recipes From My Kitchen

One of the my favorite things to do is make soup,  and these are my favorite Vitamix Soup Recipes that can be made in minutes. A Vitamix is not the same thing as a blender.

I say this because we went through several blenders, which cannot pulverize the way a Vitamix does.Here are some amazing soups made in the Vitamix that not only taste delicious, but are creative and super healthy and healing.

Golden Cauliflower Soup with Toasted Almonds

Made with Turmeric and Curry Spices, this soup is heavenly.

Asparagus Soup, the Detox Soup

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Carrot Ginger Soup

Roasted Pumpkin Soup

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Garden Fresh Tomato Bisque

Creamy Garden Tomato Soup

Vitamix Soup Recipes with Greens

30 Minute Health Soup

Green Potato Soup with Watercress, Leeks

Spring Pea Soup with Tarragon

Spinach Soup

Gazpacho from My Garden

Classic Cream of Cauliflower Soup

Broccoli Basil Soup with Pecorino

I’ve made this soup at least twenty times.

Soups with Boldness

Borscht – This is a vegetarian version and what I eat when I need a real pick up in the winter.

Pumpkin Carrot Curry Soup

Vitamix Soup Recipes with Fruit

Fruity Nutty Carrot Soup

Chilled Cantaloupe Soup

Watermelon Gazpacho

This is so unique and fun in the hot summer!

Spicy Maple Apple Soup

Usher in the fall in a most creative way.

So tell me what soup you would want on the table first? I love them all.



The post Vitamix Soup Recipes Made in Minutes appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

You will want to make this easy Shrimp White Bean Soup when pressed for time, yet yearning a soup to warm you up on a cold but busy day, because you probably already have everything you need. Please read below to see the pantry items I always have on hand that help create delicious food fast.

I took advantage of store purchased chicken broth, frozen shrimp and canned white beans. Originally, I did an instagram post for BUSH’S® White Chili Beans and developed a quick and easy recipe in under 10 minutes. Not all of you follow me on instagram, and I didn’t want to leave you out. I used their canned white beans. Any canned white beans will work in this recipe.

In our extra intelligent generation, I’m often shaking my head, because people think all cooking is hard. It’s not. It just takes a few good cooking hacks to stay the course of eating real food at home.

Here are some of my Pantry Must Haves for My Pantry Hacks

Boxed Organic Chicken Broth.  I would seriously feel naked without chicken broth in the house, and I’m not always the one that makes it. I particularly like the six boxed set at Costco, and the Whole Foods brand. Not all chicken broths are created equally, and I avoid any that say “tuscan” which will mean a lot of flavors I’m not looking for. I want a clean chicken broth flavor, which I can use in lots of recipes, like this chicken and biscuits or this Italian Wedding Soup.

Chicken broth is more versatile than beef broth and is the broth I might use for beef and seafood dishes.

Shrimp White Bean Soup with Canned Beans

Canned Beans – I am not the biggest bean eater, but everyone in my family is, and there is so much you can do with a can of beans to add heft to a meal, or create a great appetizer like white beans bruschetta. I used Bush’s white chili beans, because they had some flavor already cooked in that would usually take hours.

Boxed Organic Chicken Broth – Seriously, you can have soup in minutes. I love the Whole Foods Brand. 

Frozen Shrimp – First of all, I was at a shrimp processing plant and watched freshly caught shrimp (that morning) being flash frozen, which is the freshest shrimp you can get if you aren’t living at the coast. I live in Nashville area and if the shrimp are fresh, they were just defrosted. This is why I prefer frozen shrimp which you can do so much with. Some of my favorites include this spicy shrimp quiche, this shrimp with zoodles, this shrimp avocado salad and this grain free shrimp scampi.

Olives – This might sound crazy to you, but a few sliced olives can perk up a dish, adding that salty, briny taste, adding a bit of acid and bite. Olives perked up this Chicken and Olives and this Seafood dish. 

Kale – You have to know by now I’m a huge fan of greens, and when I discovered kale could be frozen, I wrote about that here, because it’s a great add to brothy soups like this one.

Herbs  If I had to pick one dried herb to have on hand, it would be Herbes d’ Provence.  Most times I have  fresh on hand, especially Italian Flat Parsley – Most of the time I have a glass containing a bouquet of fresh parsley in my kitchen.  I have rosemary and thyme growing on my deck all year. You can grow herbs in your house or apartment with an Aero Garden.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Come on now. You had to see this coming. Olive oil is not just for salads or roasting vegetables. It can be a major player in a quick soup. Drizzle olive oil into soup and be enchanted. This is one more reason I start with a clean chicken broth. Olive oil plays a major role in this Italian sausage soup.

Parmesan Cheese and Pecorino Romano Cheese – We are in the Pecorino team most of the time and we like to grate a bit into almost every soup we eat. It’s an Italian thing, you can love or hate. We love especially it here in this easy Italian Wedding Soup. 

Dry Pasta – While I may not eat pasta very often, the family does, especially pastina which would work well in this shrimp white bean soup. This is a great way to add more bulk to a dish.

Canned Beans – The family loves them, and they work as a healthy filler. Not only can you add a can of beans to broth to make a quick soup like this shrimp white bean soup. Or make a fast white bean bruschetta appetizer.

Click HERE for Big Fat Shrimp Recipes from Spinach Tiger

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Shrimp White Bean Soup

Easy ten minute soup, using canned white beans, shrimp, olives and boxed broth.

Course Soup

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4 People

Ingredients

• 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 3 cans white beans do not drain
• 1/2 cup peppadew peppers see notes
• 1/2 cup grape or cherry tomatoes
• 2 scallions sliced
• 10 Spanish olives
• 2 tablespoons Italian parsley
• dash red chili flakes optional
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper or to taste
• 1 tablespoon lime juice from fresh lime

Instructions

• Place peeled shrimp in a saucepan with a cold water. Once water begins to boil, shrimp are done. Remove and drain.
• Heat chicken broth up with three cans of beans (do not drain). Add beans, shrimp peppadew peppers, tomatoes, and oilves to soup.

Notes

If you don't have peppadew peppers, you can add peppers of your choice. You can skip these also.

The post Easy Shrimp White Bean Soup, and My Pantry Hacks appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

To be honest, it’s still hot here in Nashville, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to wait for this super food soup that  is made with a tomato broth, grass fed beef cubes and fresh cabbage.

Beef and Cabbage Soup.

Cabbage and beef is a hearty soup. Even though it devoid of starches, it will fill you up and lure you into a second bowl.

Here’s a funny. As a child I hated cabbage, to the point of getting into a huge fight at the table when my mom put it in some soup. I learned then to never force a child to eat something, as children have different taste buds, which develop and evolve over time. I don’t believe in food fights or food forcing. I do believe in gentle persuasion. As a child I refused cabbage, liver, lamb, dark meat chicken, turkey legs, mushrooms, brussels sprouts, turnips, collard greens, figs and dates. I now love all of these foods, but it was slow development in adulthood.

Keto Cabbage and Beef Soup Process

Like all foods that are hot buttons, cabbage can be delicious or really terrible. I do not like cabbage that is cooked into nothing and for heaven’s sakes do not, I repeat, do not put cabbage in an instant pot. Your house will stink for days. I’m not a fan of the instant pot at all for the very reason of bad kitchen smells, particularly with meat and most definitely with cabbage.

This is not a hard soup, but you must take the time to brown the meat and sauté the carrots, onion and celery. There will be a 30 minute prep time. It seems today that folks want to be able to throw all the food into a crock pot and have it magically make a good soup. It doesn’t work that way. It is an easy soup in that you don’t have to be exact if you follow some basic cooking tips.

Tips for Beef and Cabbage Soup

• Brown the meat. You don’t have to dredge in flour. I avoid that, but you certainly can if you want to. Try tapioca flour if you want to dredge but we’re going for soup not stew.
• Use the best can of San Marzano Tomatoes. I like this brand best. Use your hands to squish into the broth.
• Don’t overcook the cabbage.

Make in Batches and Freeze Keto Beef Cabbage Soup

This is that soup that’s always better left over and is perfect for batch cooking and freezing.

Similar Recipes from Spinach Tiger You might Love

Paleo Beef  Vegetable Soup

Spicy Italian Soup with Sausage

Paleo Beef Stew

Italian Wedding Soup (Paleo, Grain Free)

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Homemade Beef Cabbage Soup

Homemade Beef Cabbage soup,

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef cubes
• 1 can whole tomatoes
• 1/2 large onion
• 2 celery stick divided
• 2 carrots divided
• 4 quarts beef broth or homemade beef stock (can use chicken broth)
• 1 head cabbage cut into two inch pieces
• 2 bay leaves
• few sprigs fresh thyme
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley

Instructions

• Put olive oil in large cast iron dutch oven or heavy bottom pot. Season beef cubes with salt and pepper and place in hot oil. Brown meat on all sides.
• Prepare vegetables for braising meat. 1/2 onion, 1 carrot, 1 piece celery all cut into large chunks (to removed later). Add these to meat along with the beef broth.
• Cook low heat for one hour. Remove stock vegetables, discard.
• Add in can of tomatoes, cutting up tomatoes first, but be sure to include the juice.
• Add in bay leaves, thyme. Season with salt and pepper.
• Cook for 30 minutes on low.

Prepare Vegetables for Final Process

• Cut cabbage into two inch pieces.
• Dice remaining onion.
• Slice remaining celery and carrots.

Final Part of Soup

• Add in carrots, celery, onion to beef soup after removing the first set of vegetables. Cook for twenty minutes.
• Add in cabbage and continue cooking for 20 to 30 minutes more, until cabbage is just softened. You don't want cabbage to get mushy.

Season with salt and pepper.

• Garnish with fresh parsley.




The post Beef and Cabbage Soup (Paleo, Keto, Whole 30 Friendly) appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Grain free vegetable beef soup just might be the quintessential one pot Spinach Tiger dish. It’s full of all the super foods including my ever loving kale, and it has plenty of beef.

I will never ever be a vegetarian because I love meat and meat loves me. It fills me up, makes me feel better,  is so much in harmony with my metabolism and  it keeps me away from sugar. At the same time, I eat more vegetables than most people, because I love them.

I know how good they are for me, but it’s never been a “eat your veggies, please” situation for me. I honestly love them, all of them, even turnips. My love for meat and vegetables has drawn me closer to the Paleo lifestyle. I’m not 100%, because I don’t want to permanently give up anything, but if I can keep it to about 90%, I feel better.

There is always a stock of greens in the fridge waiting to be used for smoothies, salads or side dishes, but at this time of year, the one pot meal, soup is what we all love around here. Soup gives you the most bang for the buck in so many ways. Everything is in one bowl; it feeds a crowd; and it gives us the most amazing left overs. Notice how soup always tastes better the next day.

This version of vegetable beef soup is without any macaroni or barley. However, I had cooked small macaroni in a separate pot and spooned it in for those who wanted it. I kept my own bowl completely grain free, and Paleo friendly, as that’s how I eat on most days.

I went a bit crazy with the veggies, using kale, cabbage, celery, onions, green beans, carrots and turnips instead of potatoes. Turnips are so much better, don’t get mushy and add flavor. The cabbage and kale were added in during the last thirty minutes so they would remain bright and a bit crunchy.

I used stew meat for the beef. It became fall apart tender and there wasn’t a ton of fat to skim off, not that I’m against fat. I’m clearly not. There are two choices for the broth. You can make my meat broth which is posted here, using roasted bones which is another layer of healthy. Or, you can use a store bought broth.

Everyone loved this soup, as demonstrated by large second helpings, so even if you are a family of two, make the whole batch. Left overs can be stored in mason jars, (with an inch to spare at the top) and refrigerated for three days or frozen.

Homemade vegetable beef soup is one way to use up all of your winter CSA veggies and to fill yourself full of nutrition to fight off those cold weather illnesses that come our way.

You may be interested in my Homemade Italian Beef Stew that is also paleo friendly and take a peak at the Paleo friendly soups below.

Roasted Red Pepper Soup, Vegan

Carrot Ginger Soup, Vegan

Broccoli Basil Soup, Vegan

More Soups/Stews from Spinach Tiger

More Paleo Recipes

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Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup - Grain Free, Paleo Friendly

Homemade vegetable beef soup, a pot of superfoods, grain free, low carb, with option of adding in grains.

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef cubes
• 1 can whole tomatoes
• 1 large onion
• 3 celery stick divided
• 6 carrots divided
• 4 quarts beef broth or homemade beef stock
• 1 turnip peeled, cubed
• 4 cups green beans
• 1/2 head cabbage cut into two inch pieces
• 1 bunch kale torn into pieces, ribs removed
• 2 bay leaves
• few sprigs fresh thyme
• olive oil
• salt
• pepper

Instructions

• Put olive oil in large cast iron dutch oven or heavy bottom pot. Season beef cubes with salt and pepper and place in hot oil. Brown meat on all sides.
• Prepare vegetables for braising meat. 1/2 onion, 1 carrot, 1 piece celery all cut into large chunks (to removed later). Add these to meat along with the beef broth.
• Cook low heat for one hour. Remove stock vegetables, discard.
• Add in can of tomatoes, cutting up tomatoes first, but be sure to include the juice.
• Add in bay leaves, thyme. Season with salt and pepper.
• Cook for 30 minutes on low.
• Prepare vegetables for soup.
• Cut carrots into bite sized pieces.
• Cut cabbage into two inch pieces.
• Peel turnip and dice.
• Peel onion and dice.
• Slice celery.
• Trim green beans and slice in half.
• Remove ribs from kale and cut into bite size pieces.
• Add in turnips, carrots, celery. Cook for twenty minutes.
• Add in cabbage, kale. Cook for thirty more minutes.
• Serve.

The post Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup – Grain Free, Paleo Friendly appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

This might be the best bean soup you have ever eaten because there is a surprise crunch that packs big flavor. This is an Italian inspired bean soup.

Cannellini beans, arborio rice, pecorino cheese, are Italian but make no mistake about it, the bacon is American. No pancetta here.

The bacon flavor is profoundly aromatic and is crumbled up so that each bite gets a little bacon and crunchy rice, and when a tomato is captured in that bite the taste is redesigned comfort food because the tomatoes are not cooked, but added in at the end with just a bit of raw spinach.

It’s memorable. It’s well balanced. It’s the perfect one dish meal, that can be eaten any time of year, but is especially good when tomato season is in full peak and you need yet one more way to use them.

This Bean Soup has Options

What I most like is that this soup has options. You can just as easily serve this with crunchy bacon laced rice on the side. Or you can add fresh baby spinach and tomatoes at the end, just before serving,for a vegetarian option.

I like every option. If you do use spinach, it’s important to add it in raw, as it will wilt as it needs to, but won’t get slimy or disappear. You could also add in some kale, which you will want to cook for about 15 minutes.

The color that the tomatoes and spinach bring to this soup enhance not just flavor and texture but visually appeal to that spring/summer desire to eat colorful whole food. I served it with rosemary bread, using freshly picked rosemary and white whole wheat flour.

Whoever said that comfort food is not healthy?

Serve with rosemary bread as seen below.

More Soup Recipes from Spinach Tiger

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Chicken and White Bean Soup

White beans, left over chicken, boxed broth makes an easy, healthy soup.

Course Soup

Cuisine Italian

Keyword bean soup, beansoup, chicken soup, soup

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 10 hours hours

Servings 8

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 2 cups chicken, diced or shredded
• 4 cans cannellini beans
• 4-6 cups chicken broth
• 1 medium white onion diced
• 4 cloves garlic chopped
• 2 celery stalks diced
• 2 carrots diced
• few fresh thyme sprigs can use rosemary also
• 1 handful Italian parsley chopped
• olive oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon fennel seed or 1 cup chopped fennel
• pinch red pepper flakes
• Pecorino or Parmesan for serving

Instructions

• Rinse beans with water. Reserve 1 can of beans to emulsify later.
• Add butter and olive oil to heavy bottomed pan.
• Add in onion, carrot, celery (and fennel if using fresh) and cook until nearly soft.
• Add in garlic, cook a minutes, but not browning.
• Add in chicken broth. Add in beans that are rinsed and drained.
• Add In spices, and shredded chicken.
• Blend reserved can of beans until pureed. Add to soup.
• Cook until carrots are soft.
• Serve with Parmesan or Pecorino cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.

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Bacon risotto

Bacon Risotto

Course Risotto

Cuisine Italian

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• Risotto with bacon
• 2 tablespoon butter divided
• 4 slices bacon chopped fine
• 1 medium white onion or 1 large shallot, finely diced
• 3/4 cup red wine you can use white wine also
• 1 1/2 cups arborio rice
• 4 cups chicken broth hot
• 1/4 cup pecorino cheese grated
• 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
• 1 cup grape tomatoes sliced lengthwise

Instructions

• Saute bacon until crisp. Remove any bacon residue and bacon grease from pan. Save 1 tablespoon of bacon grease.
• Saute onion in bacon grease until soft. Add butter if necessary.
• Add rice until toasted. Add wine and cook for a few minutes.
• Heat broth in a large saucepan on stove and add in very hot broth, one ladle at a time until each ladle has been incorporated.
• Add in olive oil, 1 tablespoon butter, pecorino cheese, stir.
• Add parsley and tomatoes.

Notes

Crunchy Rice
Cook 4 slices bacon
Remove, finely chop, divide.
Add cooked rice to pan and stir fry until crisp.

Assembly:
Ladle bean soup into individual bowls. Add in 3-4 grape tomatoes, sliced lengthwise to each serving .
Add in some raw spinach leaves to each bowl. Mix. Top with sprinkle pecorino cheese, crunchy rice and extra bacon bits.
3.2.2885

The post My Special Italian Bean Soup with Optional Crunchy Rice appeared first on Spinach Tiger.