Categories: Main Dish, Rachael Ray, Stew
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
- 1 pound chicken, pork or lamb sausage, casings removed
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced
- 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 can white beans (15 ounces), drained
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 5-6 slices stale crusty bread, like a baguette
- 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
Directions
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Place a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat with one turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon. Add the bacon to the pan and cook until golden brown and crispy, 4-5 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and reserve on a paper towel-lined plate.
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Brown the sausage in the same pan, breaking it up with a potato masher or back of a spoon as it cooks, 5-6 minutes. Add the onion, leeks, carrot, garlic, thyme and bay leaf to the pan. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the veggies are tender, 5-6 minutes.
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Add the tomato paste to the pan and cook until golden brown and aromatic, about 1 minute. Add the white wine and cook, scraping up any bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pot, until the mixture is reduced by half.
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Add the white beans and stock to the pan and bring up to a bubble. Simmer the soup until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
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While the soup is simmering, place a medium size skillet over medium-high heat with the butter. While the butter is melting, grind up the bread into coarse breadcrumbs in a food processor. Transfer the crumbs to the pan and toast them in the melted butter until golden brown, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the parsley and reserve.
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Serve the soup with some of the breadcrumbs and a sprinkle of the reserved crispy bacon on the top.