Brown Dutch Bean Soup

Brown Dutch Bean Soup

The Dutch are renowned for hearty soups that are packed with flavour. A meal in themselves, these soups will keep you going for a while. A Dutch dietary staple, brown bean soup, or bruine bonen soep is nutritious, filling and a cinch to make. A great mid-week meal for the whole family; it goes well with buttered brown bread. 

5 oz. smoked bacon, cubed (145 g)
1 tbsp. butter
5 shallots, chopped
1 large carrot, diced
1 large leek, sliced in rings
1 tbsp. ground paprika
3 lb. canned brown beans or pinto beans, drained and rinsed (1.3 kg)
12 oz. tomato puree (375 ml)
3 cups beef stock (500 ml)
2 bay leaves (fresh or dried)
Salt, pepper and soy sauce or Worcester sauce, to taste
1/2 cup chopped celery leaves

In a large soup pot, fry the bacon in the butter. Add the shallots, carrot, leek and the ground paprika and mix well. Add the beans, tomato puree, stock and bay leaves. Bring the soup to a boil and then turn down the heat to simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaves. Season to taste with salt, pepper and soy sauce (or Worcester sauce) and then blitz the soup half smooth, using a blender or food processor. The soup should still have texture. Add the celery leaves right before serving. 

Serves 4

Recipe from: inyourpocket.com