With all of the freezing cold weather that we have been having over the last few weeks I have been in full on soup mode and I have been trying some new ones. By far my favourite so far is this soup from the description of one of the soups of the day at Porchetta & Co here in Toronto. The soup was described as containing cabbage, double smoked bacon, sausage and white beans and it was topped with a garnish of grainy mustard. I was immediately sold on the idea and I knew that I would have to try the soup! The only problem was that as a daily soup I could not count on it being there when I went so I decided to make it myself.
I started out by cooking some hot Italian sausage long with the double smoked bacon in a saucepan to start building up the flavour. I then moved on to the soup trinity of onions, celery and carrots which I cooked in the rendered bacon grease followed by healthy dose of garlic. The soup was described as being creamy and since it also contained beans I decided to get some of the creaminess by pureeing half of the beans in a food processor so that I would be able to cut back a bit on the heavy cream. To maximize the flavour I use a homemade chicken stock which was pretty much the final piece of the soup.
This creamy cabbage and double smoked bacon soup is easy to make and it is just packed with flavour! The beans add a really nice creaminess to the soup and I especially enjoy the smokiness that the bacon adds. I have been hooked on grainy mustard ever since I discovered it a while ago and using it in soups is particularly nice. In the past I have simply mixed a tablespoon or so directly into the soup but using it as a garnish on the soup like I did here was also amazing! Luckily I have enough of this tasty soup leftover to keep me warm for the rest of the week!
Creamy Cabbage and Double Smoked Bacon Soup
(makes 4 servings)Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound Italian sausage (casing removed)
1/2 pound double smoked bacon (cut into small pieces)
1 cup onion (diced)
1/2 cup carrot (diced)
1/2 cup celery (diced)
4 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 (19 ounce) can cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 small head cabbage (thinly sliced)
1 teaspoon oregano
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 handful parsley (chopped)
grainy mustard
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound Italian sausage (casing removed)
1/2 pound double smoked bacon (cut into small pieces)
1 cup onion (diced)
1/2 cup carrot (diced)
1/2 cup celery (diced)
4 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 (19 ounce) can cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 small head cabbage (thinly sliced)
1 teaspoon oregano
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 handful parsley (chopped)
grainy mustard
Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat.
2. Add the sausage and cook until cooked, about 7-10 minutes, breaking it up as you go and set it aside.
3. Add the bacon to the same pan and cook until the fat renders, about 7-10 minutes and set it aside.
4. Add the onion, celery and carrot and saute in the bacon grease until tender, about 7-10 minutes.
5. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minutes.
6. Puree half of the beans in a food processor with some of the chicken stock.
7. Add the chicken stock, sausage, bacon, beans, cabbage, oregano and bay leaf and bring to a boil.
8. Reduce the heat and simmer until the cabbage is tender, about 20-30 minutes.
9. Season with salt and pepper, mix in the cream and parsley and remove from heat.
10. Serve garnished with grainy mustard.
1. Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat.
2. Add the sausage and cook until cooked, about 7-10 minutes, breaking it up as you go and set it aside.
3. Add the bacon to the same pan and cook until the fat renders, about 7-10 minutes and set it aside.
4. Add the onion, celery and carrot and saute in the bacon grease until tender, about 7-10 minutes.
5. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minutes.
6. Puree half of the beans in a food processor with some of the chicken stock.
7. Add the chicken stock, sausage, bacon, beans, cabbage, oregano and bay leaf and bring to a boil.
8. Reduce the heat and simmer until the cabbage is tender, about 20-30 minutes.
9. Season with salt and pepper, mix in the cream and parsley and remove from heat.
10. Serve garnished with grainy mustard.
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Spinach, White Bean and Turkey Sausage Soup
Ham and Bean Soup
Lentil Stew with Italian Sausage and Kale
White Bean and Kale Soup with Turkey Sausage
