White Bean Soup {with brown butter & bacon}

Happy Halloween🎃! Today in Anchorage the fog hung low and thick, completely hiding the mountains and creeping across the ground. It was the absolute most perfect day for Halloween!

This soup will warm you up inside with its creamy texture and nutty flavor of the spiced brown butter. Plus, um bacon?! Can you go wrong? No. The answer is “No”.

As we were driving home {after picking up some last minute Halloween candy…} my fiancé asked what we were having for dinner. When I told him, all I heard was silence… which is not uncommon since we are always trying new things he legitimately can’t remember what he’s eaten before. I had to reassure him he has had it before and he liked it! And you know what… fiancé tried this soup {again} and he liked it {again} like I knew he would 😉

Within this recipe you will brown some butter for the topping {drooling because its to die for!} Here are the stages of browning butter…

1. Melting
2. Simmering
3. Foaming
4. Foam dissipates revealing golden brown butter underneath
5. Remove from heat and add spices

You will want to whisk almost continuously throughout this entire process which will take a few minutes.

This recipe serves 6-8 people. But if you’re like me you’ll make it for two people, eat more than one bowl, have leftovers for tomorrow, and maybe freeze some for later because “portion control” is not a phrase I am familiar with.

*Note: to make this recipe vegetarian, substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth, and remove the bacon.

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Ingredients

• 4 cans cannellini beans or white beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups chicken broth*
• 1 cup half and half
• 1 tsp dried basil leaves
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 8 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped*
• 8 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp curry powder
• Pinch of nutmeg
• Pinch of garam masala

Directions:

Heat oil (or rendered bacon fat) in large pot over medium high heat and sauté onions with a pinch of salt. Once onions begin to soften and become translucent, add dried basil, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, and garlic, stirring until fragrant. Stir in beans and chicken broth*. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cover for 20 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, prepare the brown butter. Melt butter in a sauce pan on medium high heat. Simmer and bring to a foam while whisking continuously. Once foam begins to dissipate, revealing golden brown butter, remove from heat. Stir in spices and continue to whisk for another 30 seconds. Set aside.

Once soup is done simmering, transfer it in batches to a blender and puree until smooth. Return to pot then stir in half and half.

Serve drizzled with brown butter and topped with bacon*.

Enjoy! 😀